Destiny
by BirmanDragon
Summary: Obsidian has tracked his godlike foe to a new world... and he is unfamiliar with it. Dragons cannot speak, humans are plentiful, and there are no healing, mana, or spirit gems. How will Obsidian cope? Will he track down and kill the God of Fate? And will he be able to get a lost ice dragoness back to the Dragon Realms?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 **Well… I'm back, and so is Obsidian. While this story is best read after 'Obsidian', it works as a standalone if you have an active imagination.**

 **All rights to the dragoness Winter go to Shamgxk, who has been very supportive during the writing of 'Obsidian'. He asked me if I could implement an OC of his into this story, and I agreed to thank him for his support. This is a once only thing, so do not spam my private message box with requests.**

 **Now, onto the show.**

(Winter's POV)

I've been searching this island for shelter for days on end, with no success. Ever since that dark portal swallowed me up, I've been searching this place for some red and green crystals, with no success. The creatures on this island, some variety of ape, attacked me on sight. I would have fought back, but the portal took a lot out of me. My mana will recharge on its' own, and my wounds will heal on their own, but the lack of gems is going to complicate things…

"I though the dragon went this way, come on!"

That voice… some of the apes chasing me! I run further into the forest, hoping to lose the apes… but they are persistent. They will find me again, I am certain of it.

Eventually, I reach a hidden cove. A large pond, trees that can shelter me from the weather, a beautiful reflection of the moon in the water… it is perfect. I can probably hide here for a few days, before being forced to move on.

I fly into the cove, and I settle down underneath a tree. A storm is coming, and while I can take the cold… I want to be able to sleep. To remember everyone I left behind when the dark portal took me. To be sorry. If I had just been more careful, if I had flown a little slower…

Before long, the storm settles in, and rain starts pouring down. Colder than the rain back home… which further alienates this environment. I just wish I could see a friendly face again… since the dragons here don't know how to speak.

(Flashback)

"Come on, Winter, faster!"

"But if I fly faster, I won't be able to react to-"

"How can you hope to catch me, if you're always being cautious?"

"Alright, you're on!"

I dash forward, putting extra effort into my wings. Suddenly, a fiery portal appears in front of me.

"Winter!"

I don't have time to react. The portal swallows me whole, and…"

(Flashback end)

Silent tears stream down my face. I can't believe I left my little brother behind, even though I can remember it as clear as day. I doubt I will ever be able to forget that day, or even recover from the emotional damage. The truth is, I'm stuck here, and-

BANG!

A large explosion sounds to the… I don't know directions anymore, somewhere in the direction of the ape village. It sounds like the weekly dragon raid on the village has begun… oh well, there goes any hope of getting a good sleep tonight… A shame I am alone here, since no-one can help comfort me, not that I'd ever admit to being scared…

(Hiccup's POV)

I opened the door to the house, only to find a monstrous nightmare about to blow liquid fire at me. I close the door just as the flames hit the door, with one thought going through my mind.

"Dragons!"

I run out of the house, only to see the village in the expected panic. I stand dumbstruck for a moment, half afraid, half excited, only to be knocked over by a Viking with a bearded axe.

"RAAAAWR!" The Viking realises I'm friendly, shouting "Morning!" Before jumping off, getting back into the fight.

I start running towards the forge, many of the Vikings I pass tell me, to sum it up, 'get away, wimp!'.

I manage to reach the forge, only to keep running beyond it unconsciously. A Deadly Nadder flies down, burning the ground in front of me. A giant hand pulls me out of the way. Stoic the Vast, my father.

"What is he doing out-" Stoic realises who he is talking about. "What are you doing out, get inside."

I run inside the forge, Gobber already working on repairing a sword.

"Oh, nice of you to join the party, I thought you'd been carried off!"

I know Gobber means well, but that still stings a little to hear.

"Oh, come on, me? I'm waaaaay to muscular for their taste, they wouldn't know what to do with all…" I gesture to myself. "this!"

"Well, they need toothpicks, don't they?"

Nice to know that Gobber still has his dry sense of humour…

I rush to the window, receiving a bunch of weapons from a burly Viking… and that is when everything went to Hel.

A massive, fiery light illuminates the village from above, and an armoured, black dragon falls from it…

 **And, that is the end of the prologue! Did you enjoy? Probably not, but oh well, take what you can get, and I'll take bored viewers over no viewers at all.**

 **Yes, Obsidian is back, after less than a day of his first story being finished, and with a vengeance! And, for that matter, with a ring of unknown power. What does it do, exactly? I'm going to enlighten you now, before you get any ideas. The ring doesn't grant power, it just vastly improves one's control over their own power.**

 **Until next time…**


	2. 1: Timeline

**Chapter 1: Timeline**

 **So, now we can properly begin the story of 'Destiny'. Honestly, the prologue was kind of messy, and I'm hoping that this chapter will be much less so. Knowing my luck, though…**

 **Well, try to enjoy, but if you don't, I completely understand.**

(Obsidian's POV)

The ride through the portal was rather… confusing, to say the least, but at least it wasn't painful. I come out of the portal headfirst, Nifred in hand… but I'm not prepared for the sudden change in gravity. I end up falling in what at first feels like the wrong direction, but by the time the portal fades I have regained my bearings, and am flying stably through the surprisingly cold air.

I pull up seconds before I hit the ground, my left wing grazing the roof of what I assume to be a forge. I manage to land upright on what I assume to be a statue built in the middle of the sea, and begin viewing the… carnage that is going on. There is no other word for it. Unfamiliar dragons, and… HUMANS! …are slaughtering each other in what looks more like a bonfire than a village. I make my decision. I may be a half-dragon now, but I was human by birth. I'm going to help the human village.

I take off, and fly towards the human village, gripping Nifred tightly. Thank goodness, my element runs of anger, pain, and willpower instead of the elemental energy inside green mana crystals.

When I arrive at the village, I spot a blue, two-headed dragon stealing sheep. I fly down, and decapitate the left head of the beast using the clean side of Nifred. The beast drops the sheep it is carrying, and flies off. It won't get far. A bleeding neck is a bleeding neck, after all.

The rest of the night goes pretty much the same way. Dragon doing something he/she shouldn't, I swoop in and kill it quickly. I must have gotten a kill count of at least 10 before the night was over. I feel slightly guilty about killing the dragons, but since none of them spoke, it is safe to assume that they are not intelligent on the same level as humans, or the dragons of the Dragon Realms.

The dragons leave when the sun rises, with very little in the way of stolen goods. I'm standing on the edge of the village, Nifred planted in the ground, Darksign banner flying in the wind. I hear multiple people approaching me, muttering their disbeliefs under their breaths.

"Did you see him?"

"A friendly dragon? In armour?"

"Is he intelligent?"

"Why did he help us?"

"Was he sent from the gods?"

I shake my head, and turn around to face the humans behind me. They don't seem to know what to believe. Half of them are gripping their weapons, while the other half are staring at me in wonder.

I pick up Nifred off the ground, and I decide answer some of those questions.

"Alright, I heard those questions you muttered under your breaths, and I will attempt to answer them."

The villagers stare at me in shock. Right before I can speak again, however, a large, burly human walks out of the crowd, a stone, engraved hammer in his hand.

"Don't get involved, lads. This dragon is mine."

The leader, I'm assuming, charges me, his hammer swinging in an arc. When it reaches me, I simply catch it in my left paw, barely being pushed back.

"I am _not_ here to harm you." I twist the hammer from the leader's grip, before handing it back to him, handle first. The villagers, and the leader, are staring at me, more in awe now than in shock. "I am here to track down, and kill, a large purple dragon by the name of Talmaris. Now, is there any among you with the authority to speak with me?"

The human who attacked me straightens his back, before announcing himself.

"I am Stoick the Vast, chief of this tribe. And you are?"

I smile. So, these humans have a sense of honour after all.

"I am Obsidian, Morgul Warrior of Warfang. Trust me, you don't want to know what that means."

Stoick raises an eyebrow.

"Try me."

In response, I force some of my elemental energy to gather in Nifred. The shocked expressions in the crowd, and the look on the chief's face, tells me all I need to know.

"That," I gesture to the burning glaive. "is the short answer. The long answer is, for lack of a better term, complicated."

"He's a devil!"

Whoever said that is honestly kind of right… but at the same time, kind of wrong.

"You are closer to the truth than you realise. I'm not quite a devil, but at the same time, my power is on the darker side of the spectrum."

Stoick stares at me in disbelief.

"So, you expect us to believe that a devil like you is here to help us, and that you won't kill us in our sleep?"

I laugh. These idiots!

"No, I am not here to help you. Talmaris is a threat bigger than you, and this island. I am here to kill Talmaris, not to help you. If a dead dragon helps you, then that is a side benefit. And as for killing you in your sleep, what could I possibly gain from that? I am not like the dragons of lesser intelligence, as you can tell. I can think, plan, and theorise. Now, from my understanding of Talmaris, he knows enough to manipulate the timeline. Is there a greater plane of existence here? You know, a realm of the Gods?"

A small, fat boy with blond hair steps forward.

"Well, Asgard is the realm of the Gods. Why do you want to know this?"

I smile. An inquisitive mind. I could take advantage of this… and possibly expand the knowledge of the young human in the process.

"Because Talmaris is cunning. He found his way into Convexity, an immaterial realm, from which he has been manipulating time for millennia. I have no doubt that he could find his way into Asgard, and possibly kill the Gods living there." A few angry murmurs go through the crowd. "No, that is not because I think your Gods weak, that is because Talmaris is incredibly strong. He was the first Purple Dragon, for crying out loud! Do you realise the significance of that?!"

Everyone starts staring at me with dumbstruck faces.

"Oh, for the love of… Purple Dragons are born once every ten generations of Dragon kind, and not the pathetic animalistic excuse for dragons who you've been killing. I'm talking about true, intelligent dragon kind. Purple dragons can master the light elements, control time to a certain extent, and under very rare circumstances, they can even manipulate the dark elements. Please tell me this rings bells somewhere?"

Everyone starts scratching their heads in confusion.

"*sigh* This is going nowhere. Stoick, is there anywhere I can stay while I search for Talmaris? I'm not asking for a five-star hotel, just a pile of hay I can rest my head on. I'd prefer a bed, but since you lot seem to hold dragons in low regard around here…"

The chief stares at me, confusion showing on his face, before he comes to a decision.

"You can stay in the arena, with your caged dragon brethren."

I smile.

"Thank you. And, for the first and hopefully last time, those unintelligent excuses for dragons are not my brethren, hence my ability to speak and my unnatural strength. Now, with the pleasantries out of the way, could someone, preferably someone armed, escort me to the arena?"

A large, blond human with a missing hand walks forward.

"I'll take you there, Mr… what was your name again?"

"Obsidian."

(Time skip)

The arena was certainly… something. Not the most impressive of places, but… well, it is sturdy, and it serves its' purpose well enough.

Gobber, as I later learned his name was, brought me some hay, along with a bowl of water and some scraps of meat. I appreciate the sentiment, but if I need food, I'll go catch it myself. I've never been hunting, but I'll need to learn to survive in the unfamiliar worlds I'll be traveling between.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, my draconic ears register something. The sound of charcoal scribbling on paper.

"You don't have to hide, you know."

A skinny boy with brown hair shows himself outside the arena. He seems slightly scared, but more curious than anything else.

"I'm sorry…" The boy begins speaking. "I just wanted to… you know…"

Boy, I know better than you can imagine.

"Social outcast, am I right?" The boy jumps in surprise. I nailed that one. "I've been in your situation before. Trust me, the best thing you can do is ignore everyone else. In my experience brains usually beats brawn anyway, hence why I'm still alive."

The boy opens the arena gate, and walks in. He sits down next to me, apparently too curious to care about the potential dangers. He picks up Nifred, and begins examining it in close detail.

"This is a vicious weapon. Where did you get it?"

I smile. Looks like I have found a friend.

"I had it made by the blacksmiths of Warfang. Ebony blade, obsidian shaft. Light, sharp, and strong. I named it Nifred, which means 'fear' in Sindarin. Trust me, it lives up to that name."

The boy whistles, before turning his attention to the flag on Nifred.

"What is this flag?"

"That, my dear boy, is the Darksign. It represents perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye, and the story behind it is a grim one."

The boy looks me in the eye, before cowering in fear.

"Let me guess. Bloodshot eyes, black blood, glowing orange irises?" The boy nods. "Sorry, I can't help it. A side effect of my element. I have black blood. My eyes go bloodshot whenever I'm feeling strong emotion, and my irises glow whenever I'm either angry or in pain. Since my armour is designed to cause me pain…"

I leave that sentence unfinished. The boy is drawing quick images of me on some paper.

"Question. What is your name, boy?"

The youngster looks at me.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

My right eye widens slightly in surprise, simply because of the size of the name.

"A bit of a large name, even by my standards, but each to his own." Both me and Hiccup sit in silence for a few minutes, the occasional scrawling being heard on paper. "If you're curious about me, you only have to ask."

(Stoick's POV)

"Either we finish them, or they'll finish us! It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home." I stab a dagger into the part of the map representing Helhiem's gate. "One more search, before the ice sets in."

"Those ships never come back!"

Someone shouted from the back. Gobber walks up to me.

"Err, if I may, chief." I nod for Gobber to continue. "We have just acquired a dragon who can speak. We could always interrogate it for the location of the nest."

I have to exert an extreme amount of willpower to keep from facepalming. Why didn't I think of that?

"Good idea. Spitelout, gather some men, and go interrogate Obsidian. I want to know where the nest is by dawn."

Spitelout nods, and sets off with a couple of men in tow.

"Now, assuming this works, who's coming to the nest with me?!"

Almost every hand in the great hall is raised.

"That's more like it!"

I mutter under my breath.

Gobber sits down on a bench, drinking from his tankard.

"I'll pack my undies."

"No," I say firmly. "I need you to train some new recruits."

"Brilliant!" Is it me, or is Gobber being sarcastic? "And while I'm doing that, Hiccup can man the stall. Lots of materials, plenty of sharp objects, a large amount of time to himself… what could possibly go wrong?"

(Obsidian's POV)

"So, you accidentally choked this Spyro?"

I shift uncomfortably in my seat.

"That about sums it up, yes."

The door to the arena opens, and three men walk in. One of them is carrying torture equipment.

"Hiccup, leave. Now. You don't want to see this." Hiccup nods, and runs out of the arena. I turn to face the three men. "Well, isn't this a welcome surprise. Let me guess, you want the location of the nest." The leader of the three men nods his head. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I know nothing about the nest of those winged reptiles. They aren't dragons in my book, by the way, so don't associate me with them."

The three men draw their weapons, and walk towards me, obviously intent on subduing me.

"And you think that is going to work… why, exactly?" I pick up Nifred, and force it to burst into flames. Two of the humans run away, but the leader stays behind. "A brave one, then? A bit foolish, bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, but considering some of the things I've done, I'm being a bit of a hypocrite, so make of that what you will."

The human advances, axe at the ready.

"I'm going to give you one chance to tell me the location of the dragons' nest. If you refuse, I have permission to torture you."

I twirl Nifred around in a show of skill, hoping to intimidate the foolish warrior.

"Please, my armour is designed to cause me as much pain as possible. I can take any torture you-"

Out of reflex, I jump upwards, just as a throwing knife flies where my groin once was. My eyes fill with blood, as I realise what almost happened. I manage to track down the thrower, a young blond girl, and shadowy fires start to escape from between my scales.

"Really? REALLY?! I know some humans can be pathetic, but that is a new low, even for you." My dark power flows to my voice box. **"Torturing me is one thing, but severing** _ **those**_ **from me is another matter entirely."** I close my eyes, and force my power to dim. "However, girl, I am not without mercy. I try to avoid killing children whenever possible. So, leave now, and I will forget this ever happened."

The young girl steps out of the shadows, battle-axe at the ready. Well… these two asked for it.

The older warrior charges me first, attempting to sever my leg with a single swing from his axe. I lazily block the blow with my tail blade, and I knock the soldier unconscious with a fist. The girl charges me at an impressive speed for her age, before swinging her axe downwards, trying to cleave me in two. I catch the axe with my paw, before tripping the girl up with a leg sweep. I point Nifred at her.

"I'm not going to kill you. You have a talent for the art of battle, and it would be a shame to waste it before it is in bloom. Instead, I'm going to give you advice." I lean towards the girl. She is practically shaking in fear. "When you next attack a dragon, make sure he isn't a demigod hunting maniac with every intention of ripping the corrupted God of Fate in two. And replace that axe with a cross spear. Much more effective at getting through armour."

I lower Nifred, and offer the girl a paw. She doesn't take it, and walks out of the arena. That went well. It didn't, though, that's the only problem.

(Winter's POV)

From my perch, I saw most of the dragon raid. How an armoured dragon with a glaive helped the human village. Could it be? A friendly face? I hope he discovers me at some point, and that the humans take his arrival better than they took mine.

Ancestors, what am I thinking. They'll try to kill him the second they realise he wasn't sent by their gods. I make my decision.

I have to help him.

 **And that is the end of Chapter 1 of Destiny. Unlike 'Obsidian' I do not have this story fully planned out, so it will probably feel a bit… poorly done, to say the least.**

 **Until next time… if there is a next time…**


	3. 2: Helheim's Gate

**Chapter 2: Helheim's Gate**

 **Well, I'm back with another awful chapter, a headache, and not a hope in a pear tree of writing anything worth reading. Don't bother disagreeing, I usually just write, edit, and hope the finished product is going to be worth reading a couple of weeks from now.**

 **If anyone has any suggestions, make them. Worst-case scenario, I politely refuse, give you reasons why, and no harm has been done. Best-case scenario, a couple of chapters from now you'll notice an improvement in my writing, and possibly a new OC.**

 **I have just had a review from a guest calling himself 'Darklighteryphon'. Firstly, yes, Mithril was pretty selfish when he refused to trade Warfang for Spyro, and there really isn't much justification for it, especially considering what would have happened if Obsidian wasn't there, *Cough* Mithril's dream *Cough*. Secondly, I do realise how powerful Purple Dragons can become, but you fail to realise that all power has a price. In the case of Malefor, that price was corruption. While Spyro could become a near god, the price he would have to pay for that power would likely corrupt, kill, or twist him. Thirdly, Obsidian was deliberately designed as a massive hypocrite. He very much is doing this for the sake of revenge, and he is more of a monster than a hero, but he truly believes that he's doing this for 'the greater good'. Even though little good has come from his actions so far.**

 **With all that said and done…**

 **Enjoy!**

(Hiccup's POV)

I managed to quietly sneak into the house, but I really should not have decided to run up the stairs.

"Hiccup."

Oh, I was hoping to avoid this…

"Dad, uh, dad. I need to speak with you."

After my talk with Obsidian, I don't know if I can kill dragons. Apparently, some of them are of higher intelligence, and I don't think, if it came down to it, I could kill one of them.

"I need to speak with you too, son."

Both me and my father take a deep breath.

"I don't want to fight dragons." "It's time you learn to fight dragons."

""What?""

Both me and my father speak at the same time.

"You go first."

Uh… no thanks.

"No… no, you go first."

"Alright." I feel like this is going to backfire. "You get your wish. Dragon training. You start in the morning."

"Oh, man, I should have gone first." As much as it stings me to say this… "Because, I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus, of dragon fighting Vikings, but do we have enough… bread-making Vikings, or, small home repair Vikings."

"We need this."

Stoick lifts an engraved war axe, and hands it to me.

"I… don't want to fight dragons."

"Oh, come on, yes you do!"

"Rephrase, dad, I can't kill dragons."

"But you will kill dragons."

"But I don't want to kill dragons."

"Listen, Hiccup." Stoick steps forward. "When you carry this axe," Stoick adjusts my grip on the weapon. "you carry all of us with you. Which means: You walk like us, you talk like us, you think like us. No more of… this."

"You just gestured to all of me."

"Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one-sided."

"Deal?!"

I sigh, defeated. This is going nowhere, like every other discussion I've had with my dad.

"…Deal."

"Good."

Stoick gets up.

"Train hard. I'll be back in a few weeks. Probably."

"And I'll be here. Maybe."

(Time skip)

(Obsidian's POV)

"Where's the nest?!"

This idiot really thinks he can get information I don't know out of me? I mean, every soldier he's sent into the arena has been subdued relatively quickly, and if I knew, I would have told him after the raid.

"I've already told you, I don't know. And if you were wise, you'd be able to tell."

Stoick looks at the village elder, who draws a sign in the dirt.

"This sign, means that if you don't tell us what you know, the Gods will. Now, where is the nest?"

I laugh.

"Yes, riddles, vagabonds, and do-dads. I too can say things that mean roughly nothing. You know what you could have said instead of all that? That you need my help. I've already told you, I don't know where the nest is, but that doesn't mean I can't find out. Give me a map, some spirit gems, and a partridge in a pear tree, and I'll track down the stupid nest for you."

"And you expect us to take your word for it?"

A smile creeps up my face.

"No. I expect you to think about it. I'm a warrior, not a hunter, so if I didn't come back I would likely starve. Like it or not, until I learn to hunt, I'm stuck with you. You might as well make the most of the situation."

"Elder?"

The village elder scrawls some sigils on the floor. The chief looks up.

"Agreed. This is to be a test of your loyalties."

I nod my head.

"Fair enough. I'll track down the nest for you. I've thought about it for a short while, and there is a decent chance Talmaris will be there. Whether he is or isn't, I'm coming back. I'll want the numbers advantage when I fight him, after all. Now, someone pass me a map."

One of the humans from last night walks forward, and hands me a map. I take a moment to examine it, before looking up.

"My compliments to your cartographer. This is a very well-made map." I roll up the map, and put it in a pocket in my armour. "If I'm not back in three days, you can assume I'm either dead, or worse."

I take off, flying through one of the holes in the arena's roof.

Just before I get out of earshot, I hear some disbelieving mumblings from the crowd. Unsurprising, but still kind of hurtful.

(Time skip)

Alright, I need a break, all this flying is tearing my wings apart. I spot a large rock in the middle of the ocean, so I fly down to rest.

Landing was kind of difficult, seeing how unease the surface of the rock is, but I'll take it over no rest at all. At this point, I'll take-

What was that? It almost sounded like shouting. Probably my imagination playing tricks on me.

"Hey there!"

No, not my imagination playing tricks on me, I can make a coherent word out of the shouting now. I look up, and spot a blue dragoness flying towards me. An ice dragoness from the Dragon Realms?! How in the world did she get here?

When the dragoness reaches me, she slows down, and lands next to me. I raise my head, examining her with a discerning eye. Blue scales, pure white horns and spines, an impressive tail blade… a shame she ended up here, really. She'd go perfectly with everyone I know back in the Dragon Realms.

"Hello, there." I begin, hoping that she doesn't get the wrong idea. "Why in the holy hand grenade are you outside the Dragon Realms? And more importantly, are you the only dragon, bar me, outside the Dragon Realms?"

The ice dragoness gives me a look of shock.

"You know about the Dragon Realms?!"

"Where do you think I came from?" I almost laugh. "To answer your question, yes, I know about the Dragon Realms, and I came here from Convexity. Now, to get the pleasantries out of the way, what is your name?"

The dragoness looks at me.

"Winter. Your name?"

I stare Winter in the eye, trying to find any hint of deception. There was none.

"Obsidian. A pleasure." I glance back towards the island in the far distance. "You should go back. I'm out here to track down the nest of the so-called dragons here, and I suspect they have a purple dragon among their numbers." Winter gasps in surprise. There is no fear on her face… either Winter is extremely brave, or extremely foolish. "No, I am not going to fight him again, not without numbers, weapons, and luck on my side."

"Again?!"

Winter gives me a disbelieving look.

"Yes, again. No, I am not talking about the Purple Dragon who pulled our world back together and defeated Malefor, I'm talking about the first Purple Dragon, Talmaris. The self-proclaimed God of Fate. He's secretly been controlling the Dragon Realms from Convexity for thousands of years, and I recently chucked him from his throne." I let a small chuckle escape my maw. "Honestly speaking, he's the one responsible for most of the destruction back home, and if I don't kill him, he could either A. return, or B. take control of this realm. I don't want either happening."

Winter stares at me, her disbelief replaced with a look of… I don't even know what.

"How can you say that?! Maybe he was doing that to stop some bigger tragedy from happening, maybe he knows something we don't. Couldn't you have at least spoken to him before-"

"I did." I cut in. "And he forced an ape army to lay siege to Warfang, and he almost killed… I don't want to talk about it."

I turn away, and take off. My wings are still aching, but at least that one-minute break got me my energy back. I can hear wingbeats following me.

"Don't go that way. The creatures that flew in that direction almost killed me when I went there."

"You aren't a trained warrior. I am." This dragoness had better not be trying to protect me. "If those lesser dragons try to kill me, they will know what it is like to be on the receiving end of my anger."

I force my element into my wings, hoping for a burst of speed. I am not disappointed. I shoot forward, easily breaking the sound barrier. Dark flames are escaping from between my scales.

I take this moment of opportunity to glance at my left forepaw, the one the ebony ring is attached to. It is glowing with my own fiery darkness, like it was after it put itself on my claw. I'm not sure what exactly the ring does, but if my previous shows of power are anything to go by, it enhances my ability to control my power. I'm not sure that is a good thing.

(Time skip)

When I arrived at the so-called 'Helheim's gate', I found that it was surprisingly difficult to navigate, almost like a maze. It took a couple of hours for me to find a volcanic island through the rocks, and another hour for me to deduce that this was the nest I've been sent to find. I am about to turn around, when a convexity whip grabs my tail, and pulls me to the ground. Instead of fighting it, I use the momentum to fuel a swing from Nifred, creating an impact crater on the ground.

"You've improved since last we've met."

A purple dragon is clearly visible against the white mist.

"Talmaris. And here I was, hoping you'd slunk into a hole and forgotten about me."

"Not a chance, anomaly. You dethroned me, and I intend to reclaim what is rightfully mine."

"Rightfully yours? HAH. You lost that right when you fled from me in battle, God of Fate. And while you may be immortal, you are not indestructible."

I lunge at Talmaris, using my hatred for him to enhance my speed and strength. Unfortunately, the corrupted god sidesteps out of the way just in time, only getting nicked on the shoulder.

"There is no point in fighting right now. I am not at my full power, and you are being corrupted by your own power, so let's make a deal." I'm listening. I'll probably refuse, but I'm listening. "You leave me here for at least a day, and I pretend we never met. Deal?"

I give my answer in the form of a dark fireball. Talmaris blocks it with a shield of Convexity, before releasing an ear-splitting roar. The ground starts shaking, and seconds later… a massive, six-eyed monster bursts from the mountain.

"This, anomaly, is the queen of the lesser dragons. I have her under my control, and you cannot hope to beat both me and her."

Well, if you have her under your control, that makes you all the weaker, since you have to pour your power into this monster to prevent it from turning on you.

"Now, I will not ask again. Leave, or die."

Normally, I would refuse, but I have no intention of exacting my revenge as a ghost… so I take off and leave, Talmaris laughing maniacally behind me.

(Time skip)

After what felt like a year, I arrive back at the human island. Ships have been prepared, hundreds of warriors getting on board as I approach.

I locate, and land in front of, the chief.

"Your guesses and theories were right. The dragon nest is in Helheim's gate. A large, volcanic island. Talmaris is there, as is a much larger problem. I was unable to find a clear path through the rocks, so you'll be going in blind." Stoick nods, noting everything I say down on a piece of paper. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I would come with you, but my wings feel like they've been pulled off my back, had acid poured inside them, and then been reattached."

Stoick nods again, looking distrustful, but grateful.

"Thank you, dragon, for helping us. Gothi was right, you are not like the other dragons."

"Thank you, Stoick. And stop associating me with the lesser dragons here. I do not consider them true dragons, only hunters who need culling."

Stoick nods, before getting on board one of the ships.

"Set sail! We move for Helheim's gate!"

With that, the ships depart, heading for the rocks. I sincerely hope they do not engage the dragons. They lack the numbers, and Talmaris would rip them to shreds…

I walk back towards the village, holding my head relatively high, only to be stopped by Gobber.

"Hang on a moment, lad. Stoick wants me to train up some new recruits, and seeing as you killed somewhere between 10 and 20 dragons on the night you appeared, you seem to know a thing or two about dragon-slaying. Mind helping me out a bit?"

THAT was unexpected to the nth degree. It would appear that my little scouting mission has gained me the trust of the humans in the village.

"Sure. Just give me a time and place."

"Tomorrow, first thing in the morning after breakfast." I nod, and start walking towards the arena. Hang on a moment. You sure you want to sleep there? I could set up a bed in my forge."

I turn around, smiling.

"Please do. And please call me Obsidian."

 **Well… there goes that chapter. Took me an age to write and edit, but here it is. If anyone spots any major errors, or anything OOC, please point it out in either a review or a PM.**

 **Sorry about the amount of time skipping in this chapter.**

 **Until next time…**


	4. 3: Trust

**Chapter 3: Trust**

 **Long rant ahead, so unless you're the guest under the name of Darkligheryphon, I suggest you skip the A/N, and get straight to the story.**

 **Firstly, no, Mithril did not want Spyro to suffer. He held the city, and everyone in it, as a higher priority than Spyro. Yes, it was selfish of him to refuse to trade Warfang for Spyro, and yes, he would agree in a heartbeat if it were Obsidian or Lightna in Spyro's place. I just felt the need to prevent any misconceptions.**

 **Secondly, Ignitus couldn't see all ends. One of the themes of this story is Time, and you need to understand that it is impossible, no matter what, for mortals to accurately predict the future. Only gods have the kind of second sight needed for that. Not to mention the fact that I only stated that the price would** _ **likely**_ **corrupt, kill, or twist Spyro. I never said anything about it being a certainty.**

 **Thirdly, Obsidian isn't trusted by the village, just by Hiccup and Gobber, the latter having always struck me as one of the slightly more open-minded individuals on Berk. Not like that says much, but you have to remember, Obsidian may be a dragon, but he can think, walk on his hind legs, wield a weapon, and wear armour. Don't bother using Winter to argue there, because she can't wield a weapon, wear armour, or walk on her hind legs, not to mention the fact that she didn't arrive and help in the middle of a dragon attack.**

 **Fourthly, create an account and private message me for things like this. While I appreciate the increasing review count, I don't want the review box to fill with replies to each chapter I post. This is not a forum, so don't treat the review box as a reply box.**

 **With my long rant out of the way, here's chapter 3.**

(Obsidian's POV)

I'm already in the arena before the teenage Vikings, as I learned they called themselves, arrived. I've been here since the sun rose, and the Vikings should be arriving about-

"Welcome to dragon training!"

Gobber seemingly appears out of nowhere, raising the gate and ushering in 6 teenage Vikings. They all walk in, Hiccup walking in last.

"No turning back."

That was the girl who tried to sever _those_ from me. I can feel my eyes fill with blood from the mere sight of her.

"I hope I get some serious burns."

"I'm hoping for some mauling, like on the shoulder, or lower back."

That was the twins of the lot. I can tell because of the obvious family resemblance.

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a-" The girl's eyes fall on me, and she readies her axe. "What are you doing here?!"

I stop leaning on the wall, and I pick up Nifred.

"Gobber thought you lot could benefit from my experience with dragon-slaying, although I must say, the reptiles you lot call dragons, I call vermin." I get back to resting on the wall. "If anything goes wrong, I'm here to ensure none of you get permanently maimed." I allow a vicious smile to cross my face, showing off my array of draconic teeth. "Don't worry, you'll all come out of this with plenty of scars, and unless I see a problem with Gobber's teaching methods, I'll only be here as an insurance policy."

"Great," A sarcastic voice breaks out from behind the group. Hiccup. "pain, love it!"

"Oh, great." That was one of the twins. "Who let him in?"

"Let's get started!" Gobber's voice breaks out, stopping an argument from starting. So, he's a drill instructor then. Oh goodie. "Now the recruit who does best, will win the honour of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village." The Viking recruits walk up, and get into a line. "Now behind these doors, are just a few of the many dragon species you will learn to fight. The Deadly Nadder." Fast, but relies on fire. Best way to kill is from close up. "The Hideous Zippleback." Two heads, take out one and it bleeds out. "The Monstrous Nightmare." Sets itself on fire, but it can only take the heat for so long. "The Terrible Terror." Hard to hit, but it only takes one hit. "CAN YOU STOP THAT!" Gobber yells at one of the recruits who seems to be muttering to himself. "And… the Gronckle."

Gobber puts his hand on the cage lever, obviously intending to open it. Trial by fire… again.

"Wait, wait." That was from a rather muscly and abnormally black-headed Viking. "Aren't you going to teach us first?"

No, this is trial by fire you idiot.

"I believe in learning on the job." Gobber opens the cage door, the Gronckle launching itself out of the cage while simultaneously taking off like a bee. "Today is about survival. If you get blasted." The Gronckle hits the of the arena. "Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?"

"A doctor?"

Hiccup, you don't need a doctor.

"Plus 5 speed?"

I'm not even sure what that means.

"A shield."

That was the blond girl who attacked me. Smart at least, but still…

"Shield, go!" Gobber yells out, and the teens run towards the nearest shield. Idiots. The best way to take out a dragon is to NOT GET HIT! A shield, especially those wooden ones, will shatter after one hit. "If you must make the choice between a sword, or a shield, take the shield."

Personally, I'd take the sword. A shield is only useful if you ever get hit.

The twins are arguing over a shield, rather than paying attention to the field of battle, and the shield in question gets blasted by a fireball.

"Ruffnut, Toughnut, you're out!"

Yup, definitely a drill instructor.

"Those shields are good for another thing." What? Deflecting raindrops? "Noise. Make lots of it, to throw off a dragon's aim."

The Viking protegees start bashing their weapons on their shields. I have to admit, the noise is quickly giving me a headache, but I've had worse, and I'll take much worse in the foreseeable future.

"All dragons have a limited number of shots." True, except for when your shots are fuelled by your own anger and pain. "How many does a Gronckle have?"

"Five?"

No, you idiot, a lot more than-

"No, six!"

Alright, I just ate my own words.

"Correct, six, that's one for each of you!"

The fat Viking who corrected the idiot who said 5 looks like he's about to say something else, but a fireball blasts the shield from his hand.

"Fishlegs, out."

Fishlegs starts running away, screaming in terror.

"Hiccup, get in there!"

Hiccup climbs out of his hidey-hole, but he goes back in when a fireball misses him by mere millimetres.

The black-haired Viking starts trying to flirt with the blond girl, only to get his shield blasted.

"Snotlout, out."

The blond ends up next to hiccup, who has come out of his hiding place.

"So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?"

Hiccup, go read a book on romance.

"Nope, just you."

The blond girl rolls out of the way of a fireball, which misses, and instead knocks Hiccup's shield out of his hand. Hiccup chases out of it, the Gronckle in close pursuit.

"One shot left." The shield rolls out of Hiccup's reach, and he ends up running towards the wall. "HICCUP!"

The Gronckle pins Hiccup to the wall, and I decide to get involved. I pick up Nifred, and rush towards the Gronckle, using my unnatural element to boost my speed. I tackle the monster, knocking it off of Hiccup, and I stab it in the left eye, being careful not to kill the beast, who proceeds to limp back to his cage, wounded.

I turn towards Gobber.

"THIS is why you don't use 'Trial by Fire' on new recruits!" I practically shout. "I know, you have an insurance policy this time, but that doesn't excuse endangering 6 young lives. I've seen more death than I care to mention, I don't want to add younglings to the list." I turn towards the group, who look exhausted. "Lesser dragons are beasts. They fight on instinct. They will not fight when badly wounded, unless there is no chance of escape. If you understand your enemy, you can beat them." I turn back towards Gobber. "You have one more chance to train these recruits your way. If you cannot keep them safe, then I will take over."

I turn around, and throw open the gate to the arena, before gesturing for the Vikings to leave. They all leave, Gobber in the lead, except for the blond girl, who stopped in front of me, hatred burning in her eyes, but curiosity behind that hatred.

"What was that? You just tackled a Gronckle, a _Gronckle_ of all things, like it was nothing."

I stare at the blond while sharpening my claws on each other.

"I draw my power from my own anger and pain. Seeing you after yesterday made, and still makes, my blood boil, which gave me the strength needed to split the ground open. And that is completely ignoring the fact that my armour is designed to cause me as much pain as possible, further enhancing my strength." I glance at the sun. "You should go. My anger has gotten out of control on more than one occasion, and I do not want to harm a child like yourself."

Anger flashes in the eyes of the blond.

"I am _not_ a child, beast! I am Astrid Hofferson, a member of the only fearless clan of Vikings on Berk, and you will give me the respect I deserve!"

In response, I flash this Astrid my left eye.

"Do you see that, oh Fearless One? Do you see the dark fires inside my eyes?" Astrid looks carefully at my eye, before flinching. "You flinched. No-one is truly fearless, not even Gods. You fear something, deep down. Even I am afraid of something, and thanks to my own power, it will always be closer than I like."

Astrid gives me a challenging look.

"Alright then. What do you fear?"

I know exactly what I fear.

"Many things. Torture is one. Slavery is another. But my deepest fears… the first, losing myself to the corruption powering me. The second… I am not going to tell you that. It is too personal." Astrid steps back, clearly expecting me to refuse to tell her. "Fear is natural. Even if I don't feel it often, when I do, I react to that fear. There is no shame in being afraid, only in backing down from that fear."

My anger from yesterday begins to dissipate. I can't believe I came _this_ close to confessing my biggest fear to a complete stranger. Well, while I was still human, people often said that I spoke without thinking, and it would seem like they were right. The proof is right here.

The girl in front of me starts stuttering, clearly lost for words.

"Back when you attacked me, I meant what I said. You have a talent for battle, as clearly showcased by your performance with the Gronckle. You kept good form, and you didn't take your eyes off of your opponent." The girl opens her mouth, clearly not expecting praise from me. So, this was working. "However, those rolls were unnecessary. A simple sidestep would have sufficed, and it would have allowed you to keep your shield raised. Your axe-work was also slow, although it is hard to tell, considering your lack of attacks during the fight."

Astrid finally regains her bearings, and spouts a reply.

"Those rolls were not unnecessary. The got me out of the way faster than a sidestep, and-"

"And nothing. I have more experience than you, so stop talking back to me. Get some sleep. You've earned it."

With that final remark, I leave for the forge. Just before I go, however, I spot a blue wing escaping over the cliffside…

(Winter's POV)

Great Ancestors, Obsidian is taking a risk here. I mean, the apes seem to trust him for whatever reason, but-

"Is there a reason you have been spying on me?"

I almost fall in surprise.

"How did you spot me?"

I made every attempt at being stealthy, so how-

"I saw your wing as you dropped off the cliff. Now, I will ask you again, why are you spying on me?"

I sigh, before telling Obsidian the truth.

"I just… I miss my friends back home, and since you are the only reminder I have of home, I wanted to protect you…"

Obsidian sighs, before flying closer to me.

"I'm a trained soldier, I can handle myself. Although, if you are desperate for someone to talk to, tell me where you've been hiding/living, and I'll come visit every so often. We can have a chat, talk about home, and I may even learn how to hunt for food."

"You can't hunt?!"

THAT was… impossible! Every dragon knows how to hunt!

"I'm a soldier, not a hunter. I work with dexterity and strength, not with precision and speed. I could probably catch a deer if my life depended on it, but I'd probably alert every other animal within a mile if I did so."

I can't help but giggle at Obsidian's poor attempt at humour.

"Come on, deer are really easy to catch. Tell you what. You swing by later this week, and I'll teach you how to hunt. Deal?"

Obsidian grins, before giving his answer.

"Deal. Just stop spying on me. I don't want to lose what little trust I've built up with the humans of this village."

I nod. This might take a while…

(Time skip)

(Obsidian's POV)

It turns out, Winter has been living in a cove in the forest for the past days. She's been on the run ever since she arrived, the Vikings mistaking her for one of the vermin they've been slaughtering on a weekly basis. I pity Winter, but… I know dragons who've had it worse.

I settle down on the bed Gobber kindly assembled for me in the forge. The residual heat is comforting, to say the least.

After what feels like seconds, my eyes close, and I fall asleep…

(Dream)

 _My eyes open, and I recognise this place, and I also recognise the purple dragon in front of me._

" _You really want me to die, don't you?"_

 _The dragon sighs._

" _No, I want you to move on. You are not dead, hence the closed doors, but… if you can't move on, then when you come back you will be a monster."_

" _Monstrosity is perspective-relative. What one person finds monstrous, another may find beautiful."_

" _Please, for your own sake, move on!"_

 _I sigh._

" _I can't. If I did, I would be leaving Firana behind, probably forever, and I couldn't live with myself if I did that. I know, contradiction, I would be dead, but still!"_

 _The dragon sighs._

" _I see now that, like everyone else who is unable to rest, I cannot change your mind. I hope for your sake that you move on, otherwise you will be stuck living forever."_

 _What does he mean by that?_

" _I see. Thank you for the information, purple dragon."_

(Reality)

I jump awake, the sun glazing over my sleepy eyes. Owch… well, another day of the cold, Berkian weather, yay…

 **And… chapter end. I know, half of this chapter is copy-pasted from the movie, but differences will start to appear shortly.**

 **It was a pain to write this chapter, but that is mostly because writing at 4oclock in the morning isn't healthy.**

 **Fun fact, my head is currently spinning, and I really need to stop writing these A/N and get on with wrapping up the chapter.**

 **Until next time…**


	5. 4: Instincts

**Chapter 4: Instincts**

 **Welcome back. Sorry about the late upload, I've had writers block for the past few days**

 **Enjoy!**

(Obsidian's POV)

"Focus, Hiccup, you're not even trying!" Yeah, I'd noticed Gobber, thanks for also noticing. "Today, is all about ATTACK!" No, it's about being aware of your surroundings. "Nadders are quick, and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker, and lighter."

Well… Gobber is actually on the money with that one, for once. If you're quick, you don't get hit, meaning that you don't have to worry about wounds. The again, that is kind of hypocritical of me, since I need to get hurt in order to fight effectively.

"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!"

That was from Fishlegs, who I spot running through the maze with Nadder spines in his shield. Well, at least those wooden objects are good for something…

"Look for its blind spot, every dragon has one." True, since I can't see directly behind me. "Find it, hide in it, and strike."

Or be smart, and confuse the beast with that shield bashing. Seriously, I've still got that headache from yesterday thanks to that shield bashing…

The Nadder has the twins in front of it, but for some reason it isn't attacking. Wait… oh my goodness, that it THE MOST INCONVENIENT blind spot in ALL OF HISTORY!

Ruffnut and Tuffnut are arguing, for whatever reason, and I can't hear what is being said over everything else that is going on. The Nadder realises that the twins are hiding in front of it, and blasts the air with a rather nasty lot of sparks.

"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot… hmm, not so much."

Unless you've got a migraine, in which case everywhere is a deaf spot, because you've stuffed your ears full of cotton to dull the pain.

Stupidly, while everyone is running past me and Gobber, Hiccup stops and starts asking questions.

"So, uh, how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?"

'Why are you asking' is an equally important question.

"No-one has ever met one and lived to tell the tale, now GET IN THERE!"

"I know, I know, but, hypothetically-"

Astrid motions for Hiccup to get down next to her and Snotlout. The Nadder is just around the corner, and it looks like the teens are getting ready to 'sneak attack' the dragon. A bold move, considering the sensitivity of draconic ears and eyes, but each to his/her own, I suppose. Astrid glances around the corner, before her and Snotlout try to roll past the beast. They succeed, but when Hiccup tries, he fails spectacularly.

The Nadder spots Hiccup, and starts chasing him. Fortunately, it shifts its focus to Astrid and Snotlout, the latter knocking the former out of the way, and throwing his mace at the Nadder, missing by a country mile.

"The sun was in my eyes, Astrid. What do you want me to-"

"SNOTLOUT!" I yell. "NEVER let go of your only weapon."

The Nadder chases the pair of teens, before Snotlout breaks off into a different part of the wooden maze. The Nadder chases Astrid, eventually knocking over a part of the maze when Astrid makes a sharp turn. The Nadder then proceeds to knock over the rest of the maze, eventually knocking a part down onto Hiccup while he's idiotically asking questions. Astrid leaps onto the wooden wall, falling onto Hiccup… and getting her axe stuck in his shield. *sigh* How did Gobber get this job?

After a few moments, Astrid wrenches the shield from Hiccup's grip, axe still embedded in it, and swings it with the axe-handle into the Nadder's face.

"Well done, Astrid."

Well done? WELL DONE?! Sorry, Gobber, but there were several things wrong with that swing. Too much force behind the swing, no precision whatsoever, and it left Astrid wide open to attack.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you?" Astrid turns on Hiccup, seething with anger. "Our parents' war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on."

I think he already knows, Astrid…

Once the teens have left the arena, Gobber turns towards me, looking pleased with himself.

"See? No harm done."

I beg to differ.

"But the risk was there. I counted about 20 different ways that could have gone wrong. 10 could have resulted in death, 7 maiming, and 3 scars that would potentially have deformed the recruits for life."

Gobber does not look best pleased.

"Now listen here, Obsidian. This is dragon training, not-"

"Not what, exactly?" I give Gobber a bored look. "Not a scenario based training exercise which could have gone wrong in twenty different ways? Yes, agreed, except for the part where it is a scenario based training exercise which could have gone wrong in twenty different ways. You know, the part that makes me want to slap you with a wet fish."

I pick myself up off the railing.

"If, Gobber, you are incapable of teaching this lot without putting them in harm's way, I'm going to step in. They need to learn to fight before they learn to kill, and they need better weapons." I pull out a piece of paper I have been drawing on ever since the training session started. An image of a Dark Souls cross-spear is easily visible on the surface of the paper. "Go create six of these cross spears in the forge. They are specialized dragon-slaying weapons, and should be more than enough to get these recruits through training."

Gobber nods, seemingly having lost his tongue, before running across the bridge. After he's gone, I take off, and make my way towards Winter's cove. I need to learn to hunt if I'm going to be traveling between timelines to hunt Talmaris, and… well, someone has to teach me.

(Time skip)

(Winter's POV)

It is nearing the end of the week, and Obsidian still hasn't shown up like he promised. I'm starting to doubt him. After all, he has been cooperating with the apes of this island, so-

"Winter? You here?"

Oh, my goodness, I just ate my own words, he actually turned up! I step out of my hiding spot, quickly getting noticed by Obsidian, and I walk towards him slowly. Obsidian stays put, busy thinking.

"Hello, Obsidian."

The black dragon snaps out of his daze, and looks directly at me. I'm still walking, since he landed quite a distance away from me.

When I get closer to Obsidian, I notice something. A black liquid is seeping from a gap in his armour, and I quickly realise that it is blood. Why it is black, I'm not too sure, but…

"Obsidian, you're hurt."

Obsidian glances down, noticing the blood dripping from his armour. He plants his glaive into the ground, gets onto all fours, and starts unbuckling his armour. I wonder why he always wears it? It isn't as if-

The scales underneath Obsidian's armour look awful. Several have been shattered, some are missing, and many have blood seeping from cracks. Even more awful, is the fact that Obsidian would have clearly been quite a handsome dragon if it weren't for those wounds…

Obsidian looks me in the eye, before opening his maw.

"My armour is designed to cause me pain, since my element feeds off anger and pain instead of elemental energy. This" he gestures to his… everything. "is simply what goes on underneath my armour. Now, I believe you said you were going to teach me how to hunt, correct?"

I manage to tear my eyes away from the terrible sight before me just long enough to answer.

"Correct." My eyes go back to the damaged scales. "If you don't mind me asking, why? Why cause yourself pain all the time?" Obsidian looks away from me. Apparently, I'd conjured up some painful memories of his. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." The black dragon cuts in. "You didn't know. Now, hunting?"

"Right." I nod my head. I hope I can teach Obsidian how to hunt as well as I taught my younger brother. "Hunting is mostly instinctual. If you'll follow me…"

(Time skip)

Obsidian pounces, tackling the deer, before ripping its' throat out. Not exactly what I'd call a clean hunt, but…

"Well, at least now you can fend for yourself. A bit sloppy, but-"

"Sloppy?" Obsidian playfully growls. "It wasn't sloppy, it was just-"

"Sloppy." I give Obsidian a playful growl of my own. "I'll admit, it works, but you're not exactly an efficient killer."

"I'm a warrior, not a hunter." This again? "You can't expect my technique to be perfect."

"True, but that deer would have escaped if you hadn't got it by surprise."

"I could have caught up easily."

"You don't know that."

Obsidian sighs, before dragging the fresh kill over to me.

"Should I get a fire going? Cooked meat is usually easier to chew than raw meat."

I think about it for a moment.

"Hmm… nah, we'll just dig in as is."

"We?"

"Of course." I will admit, I have an ulterior motive here, but… "I'm sure you're hungry. I know for a fact that I am."

Obsidian rolls his eyes, and sits down next to me. I motion for him to begin, and he begins cutting off slices of meat with his tail blade. I give him a questioning look.

"What?" What do you think? "I'm cutting off clean slices of meat because I don't enjoy having blood on my snout."

I nod, accepting that explanation, before digging into the catch.

(Time skip)

(Obsidian's POV)

Landing back at the village, armour back on and Nifred in paw, I decide to go check up on Hiccup, Gobber, and the rest of the gang. It's evening, and stormy, so they're probably in the great hall.

I walk into the hall, noticing quickly that only two tables have been taken. One has Gobber and 5 of the teenagers at it, and the other has only Hiccup sitting at it. I approach Hiccup, before sitting down opposite him.

"So, Hiccup. You seem to be having trouble in dragon training. Mind sharing why?"

I ask politely. If Hiccup doesn't know, or doesn't want to share, I won't press the issue.

"*sigh* It's… well, it's partially because of you." My right eye slightly widens. "Before I met you, I thought all dragons were mindless beasts. Now… I'm not so sure I could kill a dragon if it came down to it."

"Hiccup." The boy looks at me. "Those mindless vermin are _not_ dragons. Real dragons can think, plan, and communicate, like me. I'm unique, because I can stand on my hind legs, and I have opposable thumbs, but that is partially because of my unique heritage." I notice that Gobber and the others have stopped to listen. "The Deadly Nadder, for example, is more akin to a Wyvern than a dragon. Two legs, doesn't breathe real fire, and it can launch tail spines. A dragon, to put things into perspective, can breathe at least one of the 8 elements, has four legs, possesses a tail blade, and is relatively civilised."

Gobber looks at me.

"So, you're not a dragon, then?"

"Not a complete dragon." I answer honestly. "I'm more dragon than anything else, hence the draconic figure, but I have the features of a couple of other races. Opposable thumbs, for one, and inhumane strength for another. Now, Gobber, have you finished that little project yet?"

Everyone looks questioningly at Gobber.

"Yes, they're ready for tomorrow. Now, everyone, remember, dragon-slaying is more than just training. You need to live and breathe this stuff." Gobber throws down an impressive book. "The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of." I scoff. You don't know anything about real dragons. "No attacks tonight. Read up."

Gobber leaves the great hall, and the teenagers slowly follow, one by one. Eventually, it is just me and Hiccup left.

"So, just you and me then."

"Unfortunately, Hiccup, it is. On the plus side, you'll have knowledge that none of the other recruits have, which could give you an advantage."

"You're not going to read this?"

"No, I'm pretty sure I can handle anything recorded in that book without an advantage. Read up, I'm going to go get some sleep."

I walk out of the great hall, and I find my thoughts drifting to Winter. The wrong kind of thoughts. No, stop there Obsidian, I'm with Firana, and nothing is going to change that.

I turn my thoughts to Firana, and I immediately lose any feelings of guilt. I hope Talmaris is defeated soon, if only because I miss her… dearly.

I reach the forge, and I settle down on the bed prepared next to the fires. I look around, and I notice the 6 requested weapons propped up against a wall. Tomorrow is going to be very interesting…

 **Finally, I can get back to a regular upload schedule. I had a lot of trouble with the 'learning to hunt' scene, sorry that I skipped a lot of it, but I hope I left in enough to give you an idea of what happened.**

 **For those of you who are wondering what the difference between a 'cross spear' and a regular spear is, it will be explained in the next chapter. For now, I suggest you look it up an image on the internet.**

 **Until next time…**


	6. 5: Dragonslaying, Drugs, and Memories

**Chapter 5: Dragonslaying, Drugs, and Memories**

 **Well, I'm back again, and I'm much more… no, infinitely less happy to be so, if only because of writer's block… again. On the plus side, even though there isn't one because of writer's block, I've managed to get the next chapter out.**

 **Enjoy!**

(Obsidian's POV)

"These, for your information Snotlout, are Cross Spears, specialised dragon-slaying weapons from where I'm from."

For goodness sake, I'm starting to see why Gobber teaches via 'trial by fire'. This lot are plain old stupid, bar Hiccup of course!

"Now, no more questions, I'll explain as best as I can." I pick up the nearest cross spear, and grip it in a standard spear-like hold. "When used as a normal spear, a cross spear is near useless, the extra weight making up the 'cross' preventing normal thrust attacks." I shift my grip, my left paw gripping the 'cross', and my right gripping the shaft. "On the other hand, if you grip the 'cross' with one hand, or in my case 'paw', and thrust using your whole body…" I thrust the cross spear into the stone wall of the arena, the blade penetrating a foot into the wall before stopping. "…then you can break through the stone scales belonging to the original dragons. Now that is out of the way, any questions?"

Hiccup raises his hand.

"Err… how are we supposed to break through stone without your unusual strength?"

How do you think?

"That was a several metre-thick stone wall. A stone scale, in comparison, is barely an inch thick. Does a cross spear need strength to use? Yes, but that does not mean that you need inhumane amounts of it."

I throw a cross spear at each of the Vikings-in-training.

"Unlike with Gobber, I'll be training you the professional way. Before you learn to kill, you learn to fight. Now, adjust your grips, and start practicing the thrust I demonstrated. I will correct your stances and attacks. Begin!"

The Vikings begin practicing the thrust I demonstrated, and I immediately noticed multiple things wrong.

"Alright stop. Snotlout, you need to use your whole body, not just your arms. Fishlegs, you need to step forward when you thrust. Hiccup, you need to grip the weapon tightly with your fingers, the thumb is weak. Ruffnut, Tuffnut, you both need to stop arguing over who gets which spear. And Astrid, you're putting too much effort into the thrust, war is an endurance contest, not a sprint."

I nod for everyone to begin again. The thrusts made this time are cleaner, and less clumsy. They won't go through a dragon's hide, but they're going to be fighting overgrown pests, not dragons, so I'm not worried.

After another 5 minutes…

"Alright, that's enough. Go take a two-minute break."

The Vikings go sit down at the side, almost collapsing from exhaustion. I mean, a cross spear does need a lot of strength, so I can't really blame the teens here.

I fly through one of the holes in the giant metal net, and I land next to Gobber, who looks rather smug.

"So, six young Vikings too much for you, eh?"

Gobber, you are treading the line between joke and insult here, I suggest you get away from it.

"No, five young and _stupid_ Vikings are too much for me. On the plus side, Hiccup has a brain in his skull, so he should be fine." I stare Gobber in the eye. "You can have the group back in the afternoon, I should have this lot trained up by then."

"Good luck, you'll need it with this lot…"

I sigh, before jumping back into the arena.

"Alright, back to training…"

(Time skip)

"Alright, lunch break, and after that I'm handing you all back to Gobber."

The teens sigh, before leaving the arena with their new cross spears. I turn to Gobber, who entered the arena about halfway through to get a better view.

"So, Gobber, please tell me that you'll keep safety in mind this afternoon."

"Not a chance!" What the hell was I expecting? "This lot need to learn to deal with danger, and, as I said on day one, I believe in learning on the job." It takes a lot of effort not to facepalm. "Anyways, out of curiosity, how did you learn to kill dragons?"

"I didn't." I answer honestly. "I learned to fight magically animated wooden dummies, and I learned to manipulate my element. After that, I got chucked into the Military for a crime I only half committed, where I learned how to fight in much the same way that I'm teaching those teens." Gobber looks rather surprised. I would be in his shoes, as would most, I suppose. "Then, the siege came… don't ask about it, I got a couple of painful memories from there."

Gobber nods.

"Right… well, would you like to join us for dinner later today? At the top of the east watchtower. If you're willing, I think the teens would like to hear a couple of your stories."

I smile. Seems like Gobber is starting to see me as more than a dragon with a mind.

"I would very much like to join you, thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got an appointment to keep."

"With who, may I ask?"

You may. Doesn't mean… you know what, to hell with it.

"A dragoness from Warfang, a bit like me. She's been living in a hidden cove in the forest for a while. Before you ask, yes, she can talk like me, and no, she is not my girlfriend."

I take off, not caring for Gobber's reply. Winter could probably use some company, and… well, I could probably use a friendly chat.

(Time skip)

I spot the cove, and descend. It took forever to find this place the first time, but now that I know what to look for… well, it's much easier to find.

I somehow forget to pull up, and I hit the water face-first like an idiot. When I surface, the first thing I hear is hysterical laughter. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting it.

"Yes, Winter, it is a little thing called comedy, and I'm not normally any good at it."

The laughter intensifies, and I swim towards the source of it. Pulling myself onto land is rather painful, mostly due to the accumulating wounds underneath my armour, but I can take it… probably.

I spot a blue dragoness rolling about on the ground, laughing her head off. (NOT literally, you psychos.)

"Excuse me, but could you please stop laughing? I only have one set of ears, thanks."

Eventually, winter manages to calm down enough to force out a reply.

"Sorry… but the way you just… flew into the water with no care in the world… and the look on your face…!"

I sigh. This is going to take a while…

"Yes yes, very funny, now could you please turn your thoughts to something else, like-"

"Oh, I just remembered!" Winter moves her paw into a hollow space inside a tree, before pulling out something that looks suspiciously like long grass. "You've got to smell this."

I cautiously grab the grass, before pulling it up to my nose and sniffing. The next thing that happens… well, my draconic instincts, which I'm still getting used to, flare into life, sudden urges springing up out of nowhere. Mostly urges to get more of this stuff all over me.

My eyes widen in surprise, before I force my paw to burst into flames, incinerating the grass.

"WHAT, for the ancestor's sake, was THAT?!"

"You don't like it?!"

What do you take me for, a drug addict?

"No, I don't, mostly because I'm not a drug addict. Now, could you please answer my question?"

"I…" Let me guess, you don't know? "I'm not sure. I just remember having the time of my life after I fell into a field of the stuff." I thought that would be your answer. "Still, why don't you-"

"I have an impressive amount of self-control." No, I don't, but Winter doesn't need to know that. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go dunk my head into the water to relieve myself of the headache that plant gave me."

I walk over to the water, and dunk my entire head into it. Much better…

When I pull my head out of the water, I find Winter sitting next to me, a look of concern on her face.

"Do you get headaches often?"

No, only when I resist any urges I get.

"No. On occasion, like when I get unusual urges, but not daily."

Winter gives me a 'you idiot' look.

"Really? Have you tried giving in to those 'urges'?"

No, because I like to stay in control of my life. Then again, I also like slapping my head on the ground when I can't think clearly, so make of that what you will.

"No, I haven't."

"You should." WHAT?! "Seriously. I used to try resisting them, but I got tired of the headaches, so…" Ah, so this is a common problem… err, no thanks, I'll stick with- "Trust me, you should trust your instincts."

"And, ironically, my instincts are telling me to stay far away from anything that triggers them."

"Well, I told you to trust your gut, not mine."

I laugh, _laugh_ , for the first time in what feels like a decade at least.

After about thirty seconds, I manage to control myself again.

"Thanks for that. I haven't properly laughed for what feels like years." Winter's eyes widen. "I've been too busy fighting, chasing, and running to properly enjoy myself."

Winter's face turns mischievous. I DO NOT like that look in her eye, let alone the rest of her face.

"If you'd like, I could always teach you how to properly enjoy yourself this evening."

"I'll have to decline." If I wanted to enjoy myself, I'd find a portal back to the dragon realms, and have a game of chess with Firana. "I have an, how to put this delicately, _appointment_ later this evening. Some people in the village invited me to dinner." Winter gives me a look that has 'please don't go' written all over it. "Alright, firstly, I'll be fine, and secondly," I've finally caught on to Winter's mischievous look. "I already have a girlfriend back home."

It was as if someone had just thrown a vase into Winter's face. She recoiled from me as if I were a lethal disease, her eyes rolled backwards and… three guesses… she lost consciousness.

I sigh, and take off. After all, I don't want to keep Gobber and the teens waiting.

(Time skip)

"Today is about teamwork." A door opens explosively, green gas exploding around the arena. "Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breaths gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which."

Or you could just remove one head entirely, so there is no way for the dragon to use fire at all.

"Razor sharp serrated teeth, injects venom for predigestion, first ambush attack, crushing its victims-"

"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP THAT!"

"Quiet, you two!"

Me, Fishlegs and Hiccup are surrounded by the green gas. I'm with Hiccup since he needs the most protection of the lot, mostly because of his lack of muscle.

Some of the mist clears, and I just about manage to spot Fishlegs and Tuffnut throw their water at Astrid and Ruffnut.

"HEY, it's us, idiots!"

"Your butts are getting bigger, we thought you were a dragon."

"Not that there's anything wrong with… a dragon like fig- OW!"

Thank you, Astrid, for punching the… actually, it seems like he was a legitimate child, my bad.

Also, thank you Ruffnut, for throwing your bucket at Tuffnut.

I take that back.

Tuffnut gets dragged behind the gaseous wall, and screaming is heard, right before Astrid and Ruffnut are tripped up by a green tail, Tuffnut running over the top of them.

"OOOH, I am hurt, I am very much hurt!"

I doubt that.

"Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits."

"Only if you keep up that attitude, Fishlegs, now quiet!"

A 'dragon' head makes its way from the mist, and snakes towards Fishlegs. He screams a little, before throwing his water bucket onto the head… only for it to breath out green gas.

"Oh, ha… wrong head. AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The vermin breathes gas onto Fishlegs, scaring him off. Eventually, the mist clears, and both heads become visible, with Hiccup standing in front of the overgrown pest.

"NOW, Hiccup!"

Gobber…

Hiccup throws his water at the dragon, but it literally falls short.

"Oh, come on…"

The pest launches itself at Hiccup, attempting to pin him.

"HICCUP!"

What I saw next stunned me into silence.

"Back, back, BACK!" Hiccup is thrusting his arms towards the dragon, somehow convincing the beast to back off. "Now don't make me tell you again, yes, back into your cage. Now think about what you've done."

Hiccup reaches into his coat, before throwing a concealed eel towards the creature, who backs off, afraid. Hiccup then closes the cage door, and turns towards us. I manage to regain my tongue.

"What, for the Ancestor's sake, was THAT?!"

Yes, I'm falling into that particular draconic tradition now. Shut up.

"Okay, so…" You're dodging my question. "we done? Because, uh I've got some things I need to, uh… yup, uh, see, see you tomorrow!"

Hiccup leaves the arena, and I turn towards the group, who are still dumbstruck.

"Unless you're all impersonating statues, could you please regain your bearings already?"

(Time skip)

"Right, Obsidian, you have any stories you want to share?"

I'm sitting on top of the guard tower Gobber mentioned, the teens, Gobber and I all sitting around a fire.

"Hmm… let me think…" Any from the Siege of Warfang? No, to personal. How about one from Dark Souls? No, too much effort… You know what? I'll go with a couple from the siege of Warfang. "How about a couple of stories of mine from the Siege of Warfang, the Dragon City?"

Everyone gives me a shocked look, with Fishlegs speaking up first.

"The dragons have a city?"

"The true dragons do, not the vermin your being trained to fight." I take a bite out of my leg of chicken. "The siege itself began a couple of days after I joined the Warfang military. I was flying, investigating the disappearance of some scouts, when I spotted an ape camp." Fishlegs looks like he's about to say something. "To answer your question, apes are a lot like humans, except stupid, and covered in fur. Now, where was I?"

"Ah, yes. So, I spotted an ape camp, and I flew lower to investigate. Before long, I spotted my friends Cynder and Mithril talking to the ape king, and I also spotted my friend Spyro tied up, with yellow acid covering him. Torture, before you ask. Anyways, the three, four if you include Spyro, didn't come to an agreement, so the apes started dragging Spyro into the torture tent." Everyone stares at me, completely focused on my experience. "Naturally, I couldn't have that, so I set myself on fire, and flew into the ground ahead of the apes like a meteor, creating a small crater where I landed. I traded words with the ape king, before killing about 20 of his soldiers, and flying away with Spyro, Cynder, and Mithril. Unfortunately, in retaliation, the ape king laid siege to the city. And that is the end of that tale."

"I'm so angry right now." That was Snotlout. "They tortured this friend of yours, a dragon who could speak and think like you can?" I nod. "Alright, I'll chop off the legs and arms of every ape I find. With my face."

I smile internally.

"No, it's the head and neck you really want. Either one is a guaranteed kill. And in the case of the overgrown vermin, you should go for the wings and tail. If it can't fly, it can't get away."

I give the teens a serious look.

"He's right." Thank you Gobber. "A downed dragon, is a dead dragon."

"Not quite." Gobber turns to me. "The first dragons were flightless, and the first dragon was powerful enough to eat a literal star." Not quite true, since the Silmarils from the Silmarillion aren't exactly stars, but they might as well be. "That was before he got his stomach ripped open by the guardian of that star, though, so make of that what you will. Anyhow, anyone else got any stories they want to share?"

 **And… end of chapter. I had a lot of fun with this one, mostly because I got a large chunk of inspiration midway through writing it.**

 **For those of you who are unfamiliar with Obsidian's story in this chapter, go read 'Obsidian: Chapter 16: A Morgul Warrior'. If there are differences between that chapter and Obsidian's story, then it is likely because Obsidian doesn't have a perfect memory.**

 **Until next time…**


	7. 6: Fallen Dragon

**Chapter 6: Fallen Dragon**

 **Welcome back, and I have dismantled the block preventing my writing, so hopefully I'll be back to uploading regularly.**

 **For those of you who are unaware, Obsidian's mind has been getting corrupted ever since chapter 16 of Obsidian, hence his twisted view on things, and his inability to realise why he is really after Talmaris. In this chapter, he should realise just how far he's fallen.**

 **Another thing. A guest calling himself 'silv' has been pointing out what he/she perceives as errors on my part. Allow me to correct those errors… FIRSTLY: If you pay attention, and think about the context it is used in, it is in fact 'deaf spot', not 'death spot'. SECONDLY: Ruffnut threw her bucket at Tuffnut AFTER Snotlout had thrown his water at Astrid. THIRDLY: I do appreciate reviews, but try to remember that since this is not the original HTTYD timeline, there will be differences.**

 **Enjoy!**

(Obsidian's POV)

*GASP!*

Not again… every time I try to sleep, I wake up from a nightmare. A nightmare of Talmaris slaughtering the entire tribe of Vikings using his massive, enslaved monster, before taking over my body… and using me to destroy Berk. The worst part, is that at the end of every nightmare, I see the body of Firana, blood still dripping from her maw…

I walk out of the forge, on all fours, and without my armour on. I end up next to a smooth rock wall, and before I know what I'm doing, I'm carving with an elementally infused claw. I don't pay attention anymore. I'm too busy thinking… about Firana, Warfang, Spyro… and Talmaris. The very thought of the mere name of the last one makes my blood boil. I don't understand. I've never gotten this angry before, at… well, anything. And yet, Talmaris makes me want to destroy every world in existence, if only to deprive him of hiding spots.

To think, I left Firana, Spyro… everyone, to pursue the false god of fate, to stop him from affecting any more timelines… but by being here, I'm already affecting this timeline. I've likely knocked it off course horribly, and… well, if Talmaris got into this 'Asgard' he could probably put it right. Although, the thought makes me want to… *PUKES*… yeah, do exactly that.

I turn my thoughts to Firana. I hope, despite every part of my body disagreeing with me, that she's alright. After all, I did kind of up and leave without warning her, or even saying goodbye. All I left her was the letter, and the missing half of her tail blade.

I sigh. This is going nowhere. For all I know, she's found someone else by now, and left me where I deserve to be. In the dirt, chasing Talmaris like a wolf after a deer. Despite this, a small part of me is pleased, telling me to forget Firana, to focus entirely on getting revenge on Talmaris for all the pain he's caused me.

Wait a moment, I'm not doing this for revenge, am I? I'm doing this to prevent him from harming any other timelines, to stop him from tearing apart any more worlds like he tore up the Dragon Realms… right?

Except, if I keep chasing him, he'll only flee into more worlds, and I'll tear them up to get to him. I could save lives, but I could also end them. Maybe I am chasing him out of revenge after all…

Suddenly, my battle cry comes to mind. Tol Archan. It means 'Vengeance Comes', and honestly, it is the only thing I can think of that is fitting when it comes to Talmaris. Honestly question: would I be chasing Talmaris if I didn't want revenge, or would I still be chasing him?

I don't know the answer to that.

Actually, I do.

I just don't want to admit it.

I step back, and look at my carving. A tear escapes my eye when I realise what I've carved, or more accurately, who I've carved.

Firana.

(Extremely large time skip)

One, single ship floats into the harbour, badly damaged. I fly down onto the harbour, worried for the Vikings aboard.

I land next to the ship, the Vikings aboard slowly coming off, the first being Stoick.

"Stoick!" I walk towards the Viking, my black armour reflecting the sunlight. "I trust you made your way to the nest?"

"Not even close."

I sigh.

"Well, the mist and rock maze do make it difficult to reach the island, but at least it isn't impossible."

Stoick gives me a look, right before a group of Vikings run towards us.

"CONGRATULATIONS STOICK! Everyone is so relieved."

"Out with the old, and in with the new, right?!"

"No-one will miss that old nuisance!"

"The village is throwing a party to celebrate!"

The group of Vikings run off, practically jumping with joy. Stoick turns to me.

"He's gone?"

Is it me, or is there a hint of sadness in Stoick's voice?

"Err, yes, most evenings, but who can blame him? He's gone from the worst Viking in history to one of the most talented vermin-killers this side of… well, anywhere. You should have seen him with that Zippleback, a few days ago!"

I'm not really giving the boy unnecessary praise, since his father thinks kind of poorly of him, so… well, goes without saying.

"If you must know, Stoick, I took over morning training sessions, and I've been putting the teens through a similar training regime that I went through. They've all got specialised dragon-slaying weapons, been trained on how to use them best, and trust me, they have no need for shields anymore."

Stoick looks rather surprised, but… well, who can blame him.

(Stoick's POV)

"If you must know, Stoick, I took over morning training sessions, and I've been putting the teens through a similar training regime that I went through. They've all got specialised dragon-slaying weapons, been trained on how to use them best, and trust me, they have no need for shields anymore."

What? So… a dragon, a _dragon_ , has been training Vikings on dragon-slaying? Have the Gods gone mad?

"So, you're telling me, that a dragon has been training teenage dragon-slayer protegees on how to kill dragons?"

Obsidian gives me a creepy draconic smile.

"I wouldn't call them dragons, since they are more akin to vermin, but yes, that is about the gist of it."

I stare Obsidian in the eyes, before noticing the irises. They are glowing orange, and surrounded by black veins.

"Let me guess: Bloodshot, glowing irises, black blood?"

I nod, not sure about why the Gods would send a dragon like this to us.

"I can't help it. My power is on the darker side of the spectrum, and unfortunately my body has been affected. My eyes glow when I'm angry or in pain, and my eyes go bloodshot whenever I'm feeling strong emotion. Right now… well, emotional pain."

(Obsidian's POV)

"I can't help it. My power is on the darker side of the spectrum, and unfortunately my body has been affected. My eyes glow when I'm angry or in pain, and my eyes go bloodshot whenever I'm feeling strong emotion. Right now… well, emotional pain."

I walk off, not caring for the chief's reply, before calling back to Stoick.

"By the way, the afternoon training session will be beginning shortly, I must recommend you go spectate."

With that, I leave for the ring. I hope Stoick manages to attend, after all… tickets are scarce.

(Time skip)

"Okay, quiet down, the elder has decided."

No **** sherlock.

Gobber raises his prosthetic hand above Astrid's head, only for the elder to shake her head. That can only mean one thing… that Hiccup has been selected. And sure enough, when Gobber puts his normal hand above Hiccup's head…

"You've done it, Hiccup, you get to kill the dragon!"

4 of the trainees pick Hiccup up, carrying him on their shoulders. Astrid… well, she looks mighty miffed, to say the least.

"THAT'S my boy!"

I turn towards Stoick, who I am standing next to.

"I told you so, Stoick."

"I know, but… to think that… I… I suppose I owe you thanks."

"Nonsense, I only taught him to effectively wield a cross spear, Hiccup is the one who put that knowledge to use. Nevertheless, if you feel you owe me thanks, well… I'm coming along the next time you decide to go on a search for the nest."

Stoick smiles.

"Thanks, dragon. Err, Obsidian."

I suddenly remember something. Or, more accurately, someone.

"Come along, Stoick. There is someone I would like you to meet."

(Time skip)

Arriving at the cove, I turn towards the chief.

"Now, Stoick, I am going in there to confirm that she is still inside."

"She?"

I expected this.

"Yes, and no, she is not my girlfriend."

I step into the cove, and I spot Winter sleeping under a tree, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm.

"Alright, Stoick, you can come in. I'll wake her."

Stoick comes in, spotting Winter asleep. He looks ready to charge, but I hold Nifred out, signalling for him to lower his weapon. I walk towards Winter, and shake her awake.

"Winter, you have visitors."

Winter opens her eyes, looking at me through wide, clear eyes.

"Obsidian?"

"Evidently. Now, if you could please get up and turn around, there is someone I would like you to meet."

Winter gets up slowly, before turning around. The sight of Stoick must have shocked her, because she literally jumped up into the air.

""What?!""

Both Stoick and Winter stare at each other, surprised.

"Winter, meet Stoick, a friend and benefactor for the duration of time I have spent here. Stoick, meet Winter, an intelligent dragon like myself, and quite pleasant when you get to know her."

Both Stoick and Winter look at me.

"But she's a dragon!" "But he's an ape!"

I sigh.

"First of all, yes, Winter is a dragon, but so am I, and you have no trouble trusting me. Second of all, no, Stoick is not an ape, he is a human, and therefore much smarter than apes. Now, can I trust you two not to harm each other?"

(Time skip)

I walk out of the cove, Stoick ahead of me. The meeting went much better than I expected. Both Stoick and Winter seem to share ideologies, that being that a leader protects his/her own, and always should. They also struck up some conversation, and I have no doubt that the two will be able to get along nicely in the foreseeable future. Maybe, Winter will even accompany me and Stoick when we go raid the nest.

I catch up to Stoick.

"Still think she's one of the vermin who've been raiding your village?"

Stoick sighs.

"No, she's a lot like you. A warrior's heart, she wants to protect people, and-"

"Stop there, Stoick." I interrupt. "I do want to protect people, but a few days ago I realised why I'm here." Stoick stops, and looks at me. "I'm here for revenge against Talmaris. Simple as. I didn't admit it to myself until just before you arrived, but…" I sigh. "I am here to avenge myself, and a lot of friends, and if I can, to get Winter back home."

"Where is your home, exactly?"

I stare at the chief.

"What I am about to tell you, you cannot repeat to anyone else. You see, truth be told, me and Winter do not come from this world…"

 **Chapter end! I know, I was lazy, I did a lot of time skipping. Shut up. I'm allowed to be lazy, to an extent, as long as I can crank out enough content for you to properly enjoy.**

 **Until next time… Although, if you're reading this past the 7** **th** **of January, next time is already here.**


	8. 7: Lies?

**Chapter 7: Lies?**

 **Welcome back, readers, glad to see that you're still with me here. I've tried to be less lazy in writing this chapter than in writing the last chapter, but I'm not making any promises. Ever. The last one I made, I ended up breaking for the simple sake of procrastinating.**

 **I would tell the lot of you to 'enjoy' but… well, try not to lose your mind by the end of this chapter, at least.**

(Obsidian's POV)

"Come on in, Obsidian!"

Stoick invited me over to his house for dinner, if only so me, Hiccup, and him could chat. I would have grabbed a wild deer, but that would probably be insulting, so I didn't.

"Thank you, Stoick."

I walk into the Chief's hut, and I rest Nifred against the wall.

"Dad?! Obsidian?! What are you-"

"I invited Obsidian over to thank him for training you up."

Really? This again?

"You've already thanked me, Stoick. Not that I'd pass up a chance to talk to you and your son, though, since he was probably the first person to properly trust me, so here I am."

I spot a pot over the fire, with what smells like sheep stewing inside it. Not one of my favourite dishes, but who am I to complain? After all, I am the guest here.

Stoick gestures towards the fire, obviously telling me and Hiccup to sit down. I comply first, unbuckling my armour once I'm sitting comfortably. My shoulder armour falls first, followed by my chest armour, then my gauntlets. I let out a sigh of relief as the pain flooding the top half of my nervous system disappears, allowing my cracked, broken, and bleeding scales to begin healing.

Stoick is too busy tending the fire to notice, but Hiccup isn't doing anything, so…

"What in Thor's name…"

Stoick turns around, and spots me without my armour. His eyes widen in shock, and he seemingly loses his tongue.

"Yes, I know you two, I look terrible, sorry, but my armour is designed to cause me pain, and I needed to get it off for a moment." Both Stoick and Hiccup are doing a 'slack-jawed-idiot' impression. "If it makes you two feel any better, I could put the armour back on to cover up-"

"It's fine." That was from Hiccup. "You have been helping us in dragon training, so I suppose… still, though, what in Thor's name goes on underneath that armour?"

I sigh.

"I've already explained this to Stoick, so I suppose it won't hurt telling you. My power stems from my own anger and pain, so my armour is filled with elementally infused spikes designed to rip apart my scales. Painful, but not crippling unless worn for an extended period of time."

Stoick finally gets his senses back, and manages to get his voice box to work.

"I know you've told me already, but seeing it for myself…" I sigh. "How much pain do you go through each day?"

"Physically?" Stoick nods. "Not a lot. I've had worse, and I'll be on the receiving end of much worse when we raid the nest. Emotionally… I'm starting to wish that I never left my home."

We sit in silence for the next few minutes, Stoick stirring the stew, before he sits up, and pours three bowls of the stuff. He gives Hiccup one, me another, and himself one, and he hands Hiccup a spoon. Stoick sits down, intent on digging in, right before…

"Do you have a spare spoon?" Stoick and Hiccup both stare at me. "What? I'm civilised enough to use silverware."

Stoick hands me a spoon, before we all dig in. I must say, I haven't had a warm meal in what feels like millennia, and it is really good to have one.

"So, Obsidian." That was Stoick. "How did you get so good at dragon-killing?"

I smile. At least we're striking up a friendly conversation.

"I learned how to fight in the Warfang Military, and I practiced against intelligent dragons often. After that… well, there was the Siege of Warfang. Ended up nearly dead."

"Wow…" That was Stoick. I didn't tell him anything about my time in Warfang. "Any family?" I shake my head. "A girlfriend?"

I freeze at this, and I can feel my eyes going bloodshot from the emotional pain.

"Yes…" I finally manage to regain my voice. "and I left her to pursue Talmaris."

"What was she like?"

That was Hiccup. Probably looking for tips or something.

"In one word: Fiery. Great personality, puts her life on the line for friends, difficult to scare, energetic where it counts, smart…" I take a deep breath. "and I left her, and everyone I knew, to chase the false God of Fate. For revenge, of all things."

Alright, time for a change of subject.

"So, Stoick, any stories of your own?"

"Yes, actually." Well, I kind of expected that answer. "Back when I was a boy, my father told me to bash my head against a rock, and I did it!" That… was not what I was expecting. "I didn't know why I should, but I did, and you know what happened?" You got a migraine? "That rock split in two. It taught me what I Viking could do. He could crush mountains, level forests, tear seas! I learned what I was, what I could become…"

Well… at least that was interesting, to say the least. I expected a tail of vermin-slaying, not a story from Stoick's childhood.

"Well, that was not what I was expecting, I'll be honest. Still, thank you for sharing, Stoick."

"No, thank you for teaching Hiccup."

"Thank Hiccup, he's the one who put that knowledge to use." I turn towards Hiccup. "Although, I never did learn how you managed to subdue those dragons without injuring them. May I inquire how, or will you demonstrate in the ring when you kill the so-called Monstrous Nightmare?"

Hiccup starts to panic internally, I can see that in his eyes, but…

"I think I'll show you all tomorrow."

"Wonderful!"

I put my empty stew bowl down, and turn to Stoick.

"Thanks for the meal, Stoick. Hiccup, get a good night's sleep, you'll need it." I put my armour back on, before opening the front door. "See you both at the arena!"

(Time skip)

"Well, I can show my face in public again!" The crowd bursts into laughter. The entire village, including me, has gathered at the arena for Hiccup's final trial, so to speak. "If somebody told me, that in a few short weeks, Hiccup would go from being, well, Hiccup, to placing _first in dragon training,_ well I would have tied him to a mast, and shipped him off, for having gone mad!" I almost laugh, but Hiccup at least has brains. No-one noticed until after he developed some brawn, that's all. "And you know it! BUT! Here we are. No-one's more surprised, or more proud, than I am. Today, my boy becomes a Viking. Today, he becomes ONE OF US!"

Stoick walks down from the raised platform, and sits on the stone throne I am standing next to.

"Nice speech." I comment idly. "Pretty much summed everything up without the need for dishing out a 100-page book to everyone."

Stoick smiles, before answering.

"Thanks, dragon."

Hiccup walks into the arena, going towards the prepared stack of weapons and shields. He picks up his cross spear, as I expected, and walks towards the centre of the arena. The boy takes a deep breath, apparently nervous.

"I'm ready."

The log keeping the cage closed raises, and a red, flaming Monstrous Nightmare leaps out, liquid fire coating the inside of the cage. The beast leaps up onto the metal net above the arena, shooting fire outside it, before lowering itself onto the floor, flames extinguishing. Its eyes focus on Hiccup, pupils narrowing into slits.

Hiccup, unexpectedly, drops his cross spear, backing up slowly, and holding out his left hand.

"What is he doing?"

"Stoick." The Chief turns to me. "He probably has a concealed dagger."

"Right."

The Viking turns back into the arena just in time to see Hiccup cast his helmet aside.

"I'm not one of them."

WHAT IN THE HOLY HAND GRENADE IS HICCUP DOING?!

"Stop the fight."

That was Stoick.

"NO! I need you all to see this. They're not what we think they are." Hiccup extends a hand towards the Nightmare. "We don't have to kill them."

Everyone turns to Stoick, including me.

"I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!"

Stoick smashes a hammer on the metal arena net, the sound causing the Nightmare to go completely feral. He chases Hiccup, spitting fire, Hiccup running away, screaming.

Astrid slides in from underneath the arena portcullis, and throws a hammer at the Nightmare. The weapon bounces off the Nightmare's scales, and he shifts his attention towards Astrid, who is also now running away in terror. And then…

"NIGHT FURY!"

"GET DOWN!"

A massive explosion hits the net, and a black blur rushes in, smoke obscuring the fight. Sounds of roaring and growling can be heard.

When the smoke clears, a black… creature, is standing protectively in front of Hiccup. The Nightmare backs off, retreating into his cage, before the doors close and the log locks them in place. Vikings begin pouring into the arena. The creature goes feral, attacking any Vikings close to it, despite Hiccup's protests, before… launching himself on top of Stoick!

Just as the beast is about to blast Stoick's head off, Hiccup's pleas finally reach the creature's ears. He turns towards Hiccup, pupils dilating, and I swear I see an intelligence in those eyes.

But, that distraction cost the creature dearly. Vikings knocked him unconscious, before pinning him down and dragging him off.

(Short time skip)

Hiccup is thrown into the great hall, Stoick walking in after him, with me following closely behind.

"I should have known… I should have seen the signs…"

"Dad…"

"We had a deal!"

"I know, we did, but that was before-"

"Before what, exactly?" I turn on Hiccup. "Before you started observing this… creature? Learning from him? Was that how you disabled dragons in the ring so easily?"

"So, everything in the ring…" That was Stoick. "A TRICK?! A lie…?"

"I screwed up, I should have told you before now, but… take this out on me, be mad at me, but PLEASE! Just don't hurt Toothless?"

"The dragon?! That's what you're worried about?! Not the people you almost killed?!"

Stoick, he is worried, but he knows more than us.

"He was protecting me…" Hiccup, he was, but that doesn't excuse- "He's not dangerous!"

"They've killed HUNDREDS OF US!"

"AND WE'VE KILLED THOUSANDS OF THEM!" Probably true. "They defend themselves, that's all! If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves. There's something on their island, it's a dragon like-"

"Their island?!" My thoughts exactly, Stoick. "So, you've been to the nest?"

"Did I say nest?"

"How did you find it?"

"I didn't, Toothless did, only… a dragon can find the nest!"

My mind suddenly starts working.

"Stoick." The Chief looks at me. "Prepare the ships. I'll fetch Winter, she can be useful, and explain to everyone what you can about her without giving anything away. I've got a plan."

"Oh, dad…" Stoick walks out of the hall, a look of grim determination and anger on his face. "No, please, you don't know what you're up against, it's like nothing you've ever seen! Dad, I promise you that you can't win this one! FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE WILL YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME?!"

Stoick turns around, giving Hiccup a look of hatred.

"You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking." I know what is coming next. Don't say it, you'll regret it later… "You're not my son…" Both me and Stoick walk out of the hall, with me casting a pitiful gaze on Hiccup, who looks… like a corpse. "Ready the ships!"

 **And… cliff-hanger! We all know what's coming next. I know, this Fanfic is considerably shorter than 'Obsidian' but there is a lot less content to burn through here.**

 **Until the very predictable next time…**


	9. 8: Dragonslayer, part 1

**Chapter 8: Dragonslayer – Part 1/3**

 **Normally, this is the part where I would spout some nonsense about how difficult this was to write, or what to expect in this chapter. This time, I would like to thank the guest 'SK' for leaving a review with ACTUAL CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM! Seriously, 10/10 review, I take the many points you've made, and I will try to improve in the future.**

 **Another thing. 'Dragonslayer' is a three-part chapter, for good reason too, and is the last chapter in 'Destiny', so I'm beginning it in the traditional way. With a bang.**

 **Now, on with the show.**

(Obsidian's POV)

"Winter?"

I walk into the cove slowly. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not going to come out of this visit without multiple bruises, so I decided to come armoured. I mean, of course I'm armoured, I usually am, but the point remains the same!

OWCH!

A cold, blunt object hits me on the side of the head, almost knocking me unconscious, and successfully dazing me. I manage to regain my bearings just in time to dodge a ball of ice, one coming from a suspiciously black ice dragoness…

"Winter?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

She doesn't answer, obviously, and sends another orb of ice at my head. I bring up bladed end of Nifred to block the blow, only to have the weapon knocked out of my grasp, and for my head to end up significantly colder, and more bruised, than it should be.

My scales flare with pain, and small amounts of blood flow to my eyes. I turn towards Winter, and I get a shock. Her eyes have gone completely white. That can only mean one thing…

 ** _"TALMARIS! YOU SON OF A *****! RELEASE WINTER AND SHOW YOURSELF!"_**

I'm disappointed. Winter opens her maw, but it is not her voice coming out of it.

 _"This one is mine, anomaly. She was alone, and I decided to 'help' her. A shame that the contract she unwittingly signed involved her enslavement to Convexity."_

I completely lose my mind, and my draconic instincts take over.

 ** _"YOU ******* ***** ******* ****! I'LL KILL YOU!"_**

Now, I'm not entirely sure why my anger is taking control of me. Perhaps it is the thought of Talmaris doing the same thing to Firana. Perhaps it is simply my instincts fully developing. Or, and this is most likely, perhaps it is the corruption of my mind. Whatever caused this doesn't matter, I'm no longer Obsidian, or even Thomas Dickson, my original name. Now… now I'm a creature of vengeance. All I want is to tear Talmaris limb from limb, and if that means going through Winter, so be it.

I go feral. I drop Nifred, and charge at Winter on all fours. I collide with the corrupted dragoness head-first, and I allow my teeth to sink into her flesh. There is no scream of pain, no blood pouring from the wound, not even a shudder of surprise… but I don't care. I can't. All that matters right now is killing Talmaris, and avenging all the dead from the Siege of Warfang.

Winter flips me over, and launches purple ice spikes at me. I dodge to the left, most missing, but one hits me on my left eye. I scream, the pain ironically blinding me, and I fall to my four knees, trembling in pain. Winter approaches, and she raises her tail blade, intent on finishing me off. I look up, seeing the raised tail blade. So… this is what ends me. Not Talmaris, an ape, or even age. No. A poor, lonely dragoness who cannot control her own actions, and would never harm me willingly.

I close my eyes, and wait for the final blow…

But it never comes.

(Winter's POV)

I open my eyes, only to find myself in a purple vortex. Shades of purple dance eerily, a corrupted light reflecting off my scales.

"Where am I?"

I idly ask the void surrounding me, not expecting an answer.

 _"In my domain, child."_

"Who's there?!"

 _"I have many names, but you… you may call me the God of Fate."_

Wait… isn't this the Purple Dragon of Legend?

"Are you the Purple Dragon?"

 _"FINALLY, someone who RECOGNISES me for what I am, instead of giving that pathetic excuse of a dragon, Spyro, my title."_

Wait a minute… isn't Spyro the name of the purple dragon who saved our planet? Then… doesn't that make this the purple dragon who Obsidian mentioned when I first met him?

( _Flashback_ )

 _"Yes, again. No, I am not talking about the Purple Dragon who pulled our world back together and defeated Malefor, I'm talking about the first Purple Dragon, Talmaris. The self-proclaimed God of Fate. He's secretly been controlling the Dragon Realms from Convexity for thousands of years, and I recently chucked him from his throne." I let a small chuckle escape my maw. "Honestly speaking, he's the one responsible for most of the destruction back home, and if I don't kill him, he could either A. return, or B. take control of this realm. I don't want either happening."_

( _Flashback end_ )

"Wait a minute, you're Talmaris, aren't you?! The cause of all the destruction back home?!"

 _"SILENCE, UNWORTHY WRETCH! **I** am the one, true Purple Dragon, you will give me the respect I deserve, and maybe I will return you to your family!"_

"You can send me home?!" I ask, my voice full of hope. "How?!"

 _"SILENCE!"_ Talmaris takes a breath. _"If you want to go home, listen to me very carefully. We are in Convexity right now, a world of my creation. I have built portals here, one of which leads back to the Dragon Realms."_ A stone ring materialises, and a blue vortex appears in the centre of it. _"Hop on in, it will take you back to your family."_

"And Obsidian?"

Those two are mortal enemies, but I can't leave Obsidian behind.

Talmaris' face darkens.

 _"He wrongfully challenged me. I can return you, but Obsidian must die."_

"That's what I thought." I steel myself, knowing that I might not ever see my brother again. "Then I'll have to reject your offer."

The purple vortex explodes with energy, and the portal disappears.

 _"YOU FOOLISH WRETCH! THEN BEGONE, AND SEE WHAT I'M DOING WITH YOU!"_

Purple energy surrounds me, and before I know what is happening, I've been transported back onto the island… and I find myself raising my tail-blade, preparing to kill Obsidian!

NO! What has Talmaris been doing with my body while I was-

I'm not in control of myself. I feel my tail tense, and my muscles begin launching my tail-blade downwards…

(Obsidian's POV)

I open my eyes, surprised that the finishing blow didn't come. I thought Talmaris would have taken the opportunity to kill me by now, but…

Winter's eyes slowly clear, the white being replaced by blue, reptilian eyes, which in turn are replaced by the blue, human-like eyes I've come to expect from sentient dragons.

Winter collapses, eyes widening in shock, and tears start streaming down her face. The black scales covering her slowly turn blue again, the convexity-infused dragon slowly turning back into the young dragoness I have come to know during my time here. The feral part of my mind retreats, and I manage to regain control of myself, and pull the ice spike out of my eye. The pain is intense, but I've… actually, I haven't had worse. I've certainly not had anything this crippling.

I pull out the two red gems I grabbed before I first faced Talmaris. I press them both to my ruined eye, and they disappear in a flash of red light. Pain once again flares in my left eye, and I close it. When I open the eye again, I can see out of it, but… only barely. It will heal on its own, eventually.

I turn towards Winter, who is now audibly crying. I walk towards her, before draping a wing over her back. The dragoness looks at me with cloudy eyes, her face impossible to read.

"Winter…" A fresh set of tears stream down the dragoness' face. "It wasn't you, Winter. It wasn't you."

I pull Winter into a hug, and she then starts properly sobbing. Tears stream down my cold armour, and I get an odd sense of Deja-vu.

When Winter calms down, I pull out of the hug.

"Winter, look. As much as I'd like to sit here, comforting you, that wasn't why I was here. I needed to tell you that you're expected back in the village. Stoick is preparing to raid the nest, and he wants both of us there with the tribe when he does." Winter's eyes widen in protest, and in surprise. "He's already explained to the village that you're not like the vermin, and I'm willing to forgive you for that ice spike. Good thing I snatched a couple of red gems before I came into this world, otherwise I'd probably have lost an eye."

Winter smiles, another tear escaping from her left eye.

"Thank you, Obsidian… just… what happened?"

I close my eyes, shame filling me.

"Short answer: We both went feral. Long answer: You were corrupted by convexity and attacked me, and my instincts pushed my mind to the side in response, hence the discarded glaive over there." Winter sighs, her tears apparently spent. "Let's get going. I don't want to keep the village waiting."

 **And… end of part 1/3 of 'Dragonslayer'. To those of you who are still reading, thank you for reading thus far, and thank you to the reviewers and to Shamgxk for the support.**

 **Until next time… which is probably in the editing stage at this point.**


	10. 8: Dragonslayer, part 2

**Chapter 8: Dragonslayer – 2/3**

 **Welcome to part 2/3 of the final chapter! I know, part 1/3 might have been a bit confusing to some, but it was meant to be.**

 **To anyone who wants to see a sequel, yes, there will probably be one. I say probably, because life is taking a lot out of me, mostly the 4 cats who walk all over my keyboard whenever I'm typing up something even remotely important. All jokes aside…**

 **Now, on with the show, preferably before I lose myself to the hypocritical incoherent babbling I hate so much.**

(Obsidian's POV)

Honestly, the Viking fleet is quite the sight to see. Probably about 20 ships, all with unique sails, each carrying 10-25 Vikings each, with a flagship about twice the size. Multiple ships are carrying assembly parts for catapults. I would have gone with trebuchets myself, but each to his own.

The black pest, Toothless according to Hiccup, has been put in restraints, and is being held on the deck of Stoick's ship. Hiccup is staring at the display of power, a sad look on his face.

"You don't have to worry, you know." I walk towards Hiccup, having secretly approached him from behind. "I know what we're up against, unlike your father, and I'm prepared for it." Hiccup still stares at Toothless, pity and despair in his eyes. "If it helps, I'll try to keep Toothless safe. When he was captured I saw an intelligence in his eyes that I haven't seen in the eyes of any other pest, overgrown lizard or otherwise."

"Thank you…"

Hiccup mumbles under his breath. I wonder: is he concerned more about Toothless, or Stoick?

I shake my head, and swan dive off the platform, spreading my wings like those of a great eagle. I pull up at the last second, my left wing glancing off the helmet of a random Viking, and I land with record precision next to Winter, who is on Stoick's ship.

"Winter."

"Obsidian." Winter seems… distant. Probably still- "Back when I was under Talmaris' control, he offered to send me home. Back to the Dragon Realms. I had a chance to see my family again."

Alright, you've piqued my curiosity.

"So, why didn't you take that chance?"

"Because then I wouldn't be able to help you." Well… that was unexpected to the nth degree. "You're my only link back to the Dragon Realms, and you've tried to help me during my stay here. I'm not about to abandon you after everything you've done."

I smile, despite the pain in my left eye. It is healing, slowly, but I doubt it will ever be the same.

"Thanks, Winter."

"SET SAIL!" Alright, sounds like we're moving out. "We move on Helheim's gate." The chief walks up to the restrained black creature. "Take us home, Devil."

(Time skip)

Arriving at the foggy entrance to the rock maze, I can't help but shake a feeling of dread. I walk up to Stoick, who has just given the order to enter the maze.

"Stoick. You need to be aware that Hiccup had a point. The vermin have the numerical and tactical advantage here."

"Tactical?"

"Yes. Talmaris, the false god of fate, has their queen under a mind control spell. Think of the vermin as a bee hive. They're the workers, they have a queen who controls them, and Talmaris is in control of the queen."

Stoick nods, and Gobber approaches.

"So, Stoick, I just overheard some of the men, and some of them are wondering what it is we are up to here. Not me of course, I know you are always the man with a plan, but some of them, not me, are wondering if there is a plan at all! And what it might be."

You are not subtle, Gobber. You are many things, but 'subtle' is not one of them.

"Find the nest and destroy it."

Classic reply, Stoick. The good old 'plan that isn't really a plan' plan. Yeah… that one. Good on you. Make it up as you go.

"Right, the old Viking fall-back. I'll go tell the men."

Stoick holds up a hand, silencing Gobber, thank the ancestors. He's noticed something, but I'm too busy to notice what he has, because a rather repulsing, yet attractive, noise is filling my ears. One that is triggering my suppressed instincts. NO THANK YOU, brain, I'll deal with this the logical way, thank you very much. Glancing back, Winter is having the same problems I am, but she seems to be dealing with it better than me, if only because her blood isn't flowing to her eyes.

Suddenly, Toothless perks up, his head glancing around in different directions. The boat turns in the direction Toothless' head is pointing in, and somehow we are not crashing into any rocks. There are a couple of close calls, but, for the most part, the boat remains unscathed.

Suddenly, Toothless starts thrashing in his restraints, and the ship lands on an island. I recognise this place, even the crater from when Talmaris hit me with that Convexity whip.

Stoick jumps down off the ship, landing on gravel. He looks around, eventually spotting a Nightmare tail poking out of a hole in the rocks. The Chief smiles, before turning around.

"We're here."

(Time skip)

"You okay, Obsidian?"

Winter walks up to me, concern showing on her face. I sigh.

"Bar my impaired eyesight, I'm fine."

"The blood dripping out of your armour says otherwise."

I look down, and I find that Winter is right. Black blood is dripping from a gap in my armour. I concentrate for a moment, and the blood outside my body hardens, forming a clot outside my body.

"Better?"

"How?"

"My blood was corrupted when I got my element, so I can control it. Force it to clot, use it to retrieve my weapon, even reattach limbs to my body if worst comes to worst." I look Winter in the eye. "Don't bother corrupting yourself, though. The pain isn't worth it."

Winter looks me over, before sitting down next to me.

"What is it like? Using pain to fuel your element?"

I sigh, before answering honestly.

"Exhilarating. And terrifying. Every time I'm hurt, I get stronger, and I can feel the power flooding my bloodstream. But I also have a habit of losing control of myself when I'm badly wounded, and I'm terrified that one day I'll kill someone I care about."

"Obsidian, look at me." I look Winter in the eye. "You won't lose control of yourself. When Talmaris… when I took your eye, you didn't lose control. You just… stood there, pulled the ice out of your eye, and used some red crystals to heal it. If you're ever going to lose control, it won't be when a friend is around, because you'll lose control because a friend has died."

I smile sadly.

"Thanks, Winter. You kind of remind me of… of Firana, back home, in all honesty."

Out of the corner of my right eye, the one that isn't damaged, I spot Stoick stand up off the ground, before he turns to the crowd of Vikings.

"No matter how this ends, it ends _today_."

Stoick pulls his hand into a fist, and the newly set-up catapults launch rocks at the volcano. Most just bounce off or shatter but one breaks through into a tunnel. Stoick walks up, a flaming rock flying over his head into the tunnel, before he gives a battle cry, and charges in. Multiple overgrown pests fly out, roaring in… terror? …before eventually the tunnel runs dry. Gobber, who is behind Stoick, turns around.

"WE'VE DONE IT!"

The Vikings start cheering. If only…

Right on cue, the ground starts shaking, and an ear splitting roar is heard from the tunnel.

"This isn't over." Perceptive, Stoick! "Form ranks. Hold together!" Stoick spots something in the tunnel, before running away in… fear, I think. "GET CLEAR!"

The Vikings run away, realising that their Chief has been hit by fear, and then… and then…

The volcano bursts open, the six-eyed giant monster from my earlier visit to the nest bursting forth. Its scales have turned black, and its eyes have gone completely white. And above the creature…

…is Talmaris, who is laughing maniacally at the situation.

My anger flares, the blood underneath my scales boiling to an extent I didn't think possible. My left eye burns with pain, probably literally, and blood flows to my right eye. I grip Nifred tightly, and it bursts into flame with no effort on my part. I turn towards Winter, who is staring at me with fear in her eyes. Not fear of me, per say, but fear of Talmaris.

 **"Winter, look at me."** My voice sounds demonic, but somehow comforting. Winter looks me in the eye… well, in the functioning eye. **"Talmaris is _mine_. Distract the queen, since Talmaris must focus to control her. The more you distract her, the easier it will be for me to kill that ******* son of a *****."**

Winter nods in understanding, before taking off. I turn my gaze towards Talmaris, who is still laughing like an idiot. I snarl, and take off, a dark mist following me. The purple dragon spots me a second too late, and I crash into him, impaling Nifred on his left shoulder. Talmaris screams in pain, and we both crash into the ground. I dig my tail blade into the earth, stopping me in my tracks, and the purple dragon goes flying, thankfully not literally. He lands on his paws unsteadily, before he opens his maw to speak. For whatever reason, though, no words come out. Just an inhumane screech of pain and hatred.

Talmaris opens his maw again, and this time, he manages to form words. Well… _a_ word, to be precise.

 _"Anomaly."_

I snarl again, bearing my teeth.

 **"You… son of… a *****… I swear, with… the ancestors as my… witness, I WILL kill you!"**

I barely manage to speak through my snarl. I charge the purple dragon, and darkness explodes from my body. Talmaris counters with the corrupted light he used when we first fought, and once again, pure darkness clashes with corrupted light. But this time, there is a difference. I am in complete control of my power.

Nifred, fear, collides with Talmaris' tail blade. Convexity and Darkness explode from the point of impact, knocking us both back, and staggering me. Unfortunately, it does not stagger Talmaris. He charges at me, horns first. I manage to gather myself just in time to sidestep out of the way, only being nicked on the leg by the convexity-infused horns, which tear through the cloth between my armour plates. I counter with a dark-infused swing from Nifred. Talmaris blocks the blow with a shield of Convexity, but is still burnt by the dark flames exploding from the point of impact. He staggers backwards, giving me a window of opportunity.

I lunge forward, swinging Nifred in an arc, fully intent on decapitating Talmaris. What I didn't count on… was the idea that he wanted me to lunge.

Talmaris jumps to the side faster than I can comprehend, and I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my neck. The next thing I know, my head is on the ground, and I can't feel my body, or even breathe. I glance around, and I spot my body several feet behind me, black blood pouring from my neck.

(Winter's POV)

I once again dodge a blast of fire, and counter by implanting an ice spike in the top-left eye of the beast. So far, the queen has been predictable, so I've been constantly dodging and countering.

The queen roars in pain, and sends a stream of fire my way. I fold my wings, and fall just in time to avoid the flames. I turn around mid-fall, and I send a fan of ice shards towards the queen, before opening my wings again, and pulling up.

Unfortunately, while my shards stagger the beast, I spot something truly horrifying.

Talmaris grabbing Obsidian by the head, and ripping it clean off the neck.

"NO!"

I scream in horror, and I fly down next to the fresh corpse. I land next to Obsidian's body, blood flowing from the neck. Talmaris laughs maniacally behind me.

A tear escapes my eye. Obsidian. Dead. But… but…

But I notice something. The black blood flowing from Obsidian's neck is flowing towards his head, which is not bleeding at all. The blood slowly condenses, forming tentacles which force themselves into the veins of Obsidian's head. The tentacles then pull Obsidian's head towards his body, attaching it firmly back on the corpse. Clots form in the gap around Obsidian's neck and… Obsidian slowly, but surely, begins breathing, and opens his eyes…

And I am scared by what I see in those eyes.

There is no white left in Obsidian's eyes. Just black. The veins in those same eyes are also glowing with a dark fire.

Obsidian stands up, gripping his Glaive tightly, before he turns to Talmaris. I have never seen such hatred… not since the war with the apes…

And then…

"NIGHT FURY!"

"GET DOWN!"

A blast of purple flames hit the queen on its wing joints, causing a massive explosion. I look up, and I notice something… off.

The Viking trainees I observed back when I spied on Obsidian are all flying… on the lesser dragons of this realm. And a skinny one is flying on the black creature which guided us here.

 **And… that wraps up part 2/3 of Dragonslayer! For a moment you really thought I had killed Obsidian, didn't you? Well, you should have read 'Obsidian', then, and you would have known otherwise, since I mention this inability to die in the later chapters.**

 **Don't bother questioning how this works scientifically, since it doesn't. The nerves in the spine would have been severed, preventing something like this from working, but this is a fantasy fiction, not a sci-fi one, so deal with it.**

 **Only part 3/3 to go, then the epilogue. I'm not going to promise that I'll do a good job of writing it, since I have a bad habit of breaking my promises.**

 **Until next time…**


	11. 8: Dragonslayer, part 3

**Chapter 8: Dragonslayer – 3/3**

 **So, it has taken what feels like a millennium, but we are finally. At. The last part. Of the last chapter. It has taken me longer than I would have liked, in all honesty.**

 **My thanks to everyone who supported me up until this point, via reviews, favourites, or follows, and special thanks to Shamgxk.**

 **Now, sit back, and enjoy.**

(Obsidian's POV)

"NIGHT FURY"

"GET DOWN!"

An explosion registers in my left ear, but I hardly notice. All my attention is on Talmaris, the fool who took my life. Twice, if you include the time when I put on the ebony ring.

I call every ounce of my power to my broken body, a dark fire escaping from between my scales. I charge at Talmaris with a speed rivalling light, a terrible roar escaping from my maw. Not a roar of intimidation, fear, or even hatred. No, this… this was a roar of pain. Pure, undiluted, unending pain. The same pain coursing through my broken, battered body. The same pain keeping me alive.

Talmaris doesn't have time to react. My whole body slams into him, my black power enhancing my strength, and the purple dragon goes flying. I don't wait for him to hit something. I open my maw and launch a fireball at the dragon of fate, one significantly darker than usual. Talmaris collides with the wall of the volcano, and my fireball collides with Talmaris. The explosion of dark energies would blind lesser beings, but it only makes it easier for me to see. I jump into the air, infusing Nifred with darkness, and I hit Talmaris like a meteor.

Orange, dark flames explode from the point of impact, launching me and Talmaris away from each other. Talmaris flies deeper into the rock wall, and I end up in the air. My wings ache, the pain unending, but I don't care.

Talmaris crawls out of the rock wall, before he summons a convexity spear, and throws it at me. The spear splits into multiple different spears mid-flight, almost like a shotgun shell. I don't bother dodging. Instead, I counter with a breath of dark fire. The convexity struggles to break my wall of flames, but on my end, this is child's play. Eventually, the spears disappear, and I let my fires die.

A mistake. Talmaris teleports towards me, and delivers a solid punch to my groin. I growl in pain, before countering with a swing from Nifred. Talmaris is too shocked to react, apparently under the impression that the punch would have at least stunned me. The bladed end of Nifred ends up buried in Talmaris' maw, barely missing his eye. I twist the glaive, earning a screech of pain from Talmaris, and I pull the blade out. The purple dragon falls towards the ground, glowing, purple blood trailing from his wounds. I allow my wings to fold beside my back, and I swan dive towards Talmaris. At the last second, I bring the blade of Nifred to point, and infuse it with every last ounce of my fires.

I collide with Talmaris, impaling him in the stomach, and my flames explode everywhere. This half of the island is engulfed with dark, light-absorbing fires, which burn away all traces of Talmaris' corruption.

I twist Nifred, my flames finally spent, and I pull it out. Purple blood flows out of the gaping wound. Talmaris stares at his stomach, and he chuckles. Not a 'I'm better than you' chuckle. No, this was a laugh of resignation.

"So…" Talmaris. "this is where my life ends." The purple dragon coughs up blood. "Strange. I became a god, and raised up the ancestors, to prevent this very thing from *cough* *cough* happening. And yet, in doing so, I caused my own death." A twisted, broken smile forms on the face of the false god. "Fitting, really, isn't it? That I would be defeated by the one who bears my own device." Talmaris' eyes glance towards the ebony ring on my claw, which shines orange in response. "*cough* Give my regards to Malefor, if he is ever freed."

With that, Talmaris closes his eyes, and ceases to live. His body starts burning in my dark flames, his corruption finally, _finally_ , being purged from this world. My anger fades, but the pain remains. It has to. I'm a living corpse, at this point. My heartbeat is weak, but I refuse to die. After all, I have a promise to keep.

I turn towards the main battlefield, and the first thing I see… is the queen of the vermin, taking off like a demon from hell, chasing the black creature which led us here. On the creature's back, is Hiccup. I collapse onto my back, my energy, pain, and anger fully spent. I have done it… killed the false god of fate. There is only one thing left for me to do. Find a way back to Firana.

(Time skip)

I walk through the wreckage from the battle between Hiccup and Toothless, and the queen. My broken body has started to heal, but… but I am still dead. I have been killed, twice now. There is no way in hell that I can live normally now, and my own power will likely stop me from dying again anyway. No… I've been cursed with immortality, it seems. Fitting, really. I kill an immortal by becoming immortal myself.

I spot a black creature in the ashen ruins of the island. I run towards it, only to find that Stoick is already kneeling in front of him. Toothless, I see.

I turn away, and I walk towards the remains of the volcano. It has been charred black by the battle between me and Talmaris, but… but a doorway is now visible. Winter is sitting at the doorway, staring at me intently. I sigh, and walk towards her.

"Obsidian."

I nod, and force my vocal chords to respond.

" **Winter."**

Winter jumps back in surprise. It would seem like my power needs a little controlling.

I force my flames away from my throat, and towards my heart. The beating of the black organ increases in intensity, and before I know it, I feel… _alive_ again. It must have shown too, because Winter's eyes widened, and a smile appeared on her face.

"How are you feeling, Obsidian?"

"Better, thank you." My voice has returned to normal. "Although, that fight took a lot out of me. If there is anything in this tunnel…"

"We're dead." Winter finishes for me. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

Both me and Winter walk into the carved entrance, purple convexity runes visible on either side of the corridor. After what feels like an hour of walking, we come across a complete portal. Well… almost complete. A ring-shaped space is visible on the top of it.

I raise my paw, and glance at my claw. The ebony ring, the one that has been controlling my power… it would seem like this is where I part with it. I pull the ring off my claw, my power flooding my bloodstream when I do, and I force it into the gap. The portal bursts into life, my own dark energies making up the vortex that would take me and Winter home.

I look at Winter.

"Ready?"

The ice dragoness nods.

"Yes. The question is, are you ready?"

I nod, and before I know what we're doing, we both jump through the portal.

(Time skip)

(Firana's POV)

I wake up in shock. Another nightmare about Obsidian dying. I'm starting to think that they mean something, but…

I look out of the window. Midnight. I sigh. Obsidian promised he would return to me, but it has been three months at this point. Surely Obsidian would have come back by now, if he was still alive.

I make a decision. I walk out of the temple, and I make my way to the edge of the floating island. I know this is not what Obsidian would want, but… it is what I want. I can't live any longer without the knowledge that the black dragon is safe. At least this way, I will learn whether or not he is still alive.

I jump, wings folded on my sides, fully intent on suicide. Just before I reach the ground though, I am picked up. A black, bipedal dragon in ebony armour flies in and grabs me mere metres from the ground. I look up in shock.

"I don't like to break my promises, and if you're dead, how can I fulfil my promise to you?"

The dragon lands, dropping me gently onto the ground. I shake the dust off my scales, before looking properly at him. Ebony armour that I recognised, an ebony glaive with a Darksign banner, orange eyes, black veins visible at the edge of the eyes…

"Obsidian?" I ask nervously. The dragon nods. "You're alive? Or… we're both dead…?"

The dragon chuckles.

"No, we're both very much alive. Or you are, at least. I've been killed twice over during my time away, but… well, I'm still technically 'alive'."

A smile unwittingly forces its way to my face, and I run towards Obsidian. I embrace him tightly. He drops his glaive, and returns the embrace, a tear escaping from his right eye.

"I missed you, Firana."

A tear escapes from my eye as well.

"I missed you too…"

Obsidian smiles, and pulls me further into the embrace. The cold ebony armour rubs against my scales, but I don't care. Obsidian is back. My own Obsidian is back…

We both pull out of the embrace, and Obsidian gazes at me longingly.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

I have to know.

"For leaving you behind. For leaving _everyone_ behind, simply for the sake of revenge." Blood fills Obsidian's eyes, and tears start steaming down his right eye. "I understand if you… if you don't want to be near me anymore. But I had to. I didn't realise until halfway through my time away, but-"

"I don't care." I interrupt Obsidian before he can continue. "You're here now."

Obsidian smiles, his eyes filling completely with blood. Not in anger or pain, but… in joy.

"Thank you. Firana. Thank you. I can finally move on now."

"What do you mean?"

Obsidian doesn't answer. Instead, he turns around.

"Please, come with me. I discovered something while I was away. You have to see it."

(Time skip)

(Obsidian's POV)

"What is this place?"

That was Firana. I have brought her to the convexity vortex where I first encountered Talmaris.

"This, Firana, is where I dethroned Talmaris, the first purple dragon. He's the one responsible for all of the destruction here in the Dragon Realms. I chased him into another timeline, and I've killed him. But… I discovered something while I was here." I wave my paw in the air, and a book with a symbol of a black dragon appears. "This book… it is interesting to say the least. It describes how to access different timelines, and when I observed them, there are several that could use our help."

"'Our' help?"

Firana seems very curious, and I must say, she also seems happy.

"Yes, our help. I'm not leaving you again, not in a million years. I would like to go into these other timelines to help them, but… I won't go if you won't. In all likelihood, they'll resolve themselves, but I don't want to leave things to chance." I look Firana in the eye. "Firana, please. I won't go if you won't, but… I really want to. Not just to help the timelines, but… but because there are a few I recognise from stories I have been told. A few that need help now."

Firana smiles, and stares longingly into my eyes.

"Can you promise that you won't leave me again?"

I smile back.

"I swear, with the Ancestors as my witnesses, that I will never leave you again, not even if I have to kill a thousand innocents."

"Then I will go with you."

My eyes water with joy.

"Thank you, Firana."

I escort Firana to the portal 'room'. I turn towards one specific portal.

"Ready, Firana?"

"Always, Obsidian."

I pour my power into the portal, and a dark vortex appears. Both me and Firana entwine our tails, and we jump in…

 **And… that wraps up the final chapter of 'Destiny'. For those of you who are confused by the title of this fiction, I named it 'Destiny' because of the fact that Obsidian was chasing the God of Fate, and was, ironically, destined to kill the one who controls destiny. In a sense, he was destined to kill destiny.**

 **There is just the epilogue to go, now. It should tie up the loose ends of Mithril, Lightna, Spyro, and Cynder.**

 **Until next time…**


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

(Mithril's POV)

I walk again through the halls of the temple, dragons casting distrusting glances towards me as I pass. It has been three weeks since Firana left the temple, and the Guardians have had Spyro and Cynder searching for her ever since her disappearance. I would have gone too, but those two hate me after… after the siege of Warfang.

I walk into my room, and I close the door behind me. I sigh. I wish I could go home, sometimes, but… life here is better than it could ever be back on earth, even with all the hate I get.

I walk towards my bed, only to step on a loose board of wood. My paw goes through it, and hits a metal box underneath. Curious, I pull it out, and open it. A letter sealed by a black scale is inside.

I open the letter, and begin reading.

 _Mithril_

 _If you are reading this, then Firana has likely disappeared. That is because I've returned to her, like I promised. Yes, it is Obsidian who wrote this. Now, as I was saying, Firana and me have gone on a trip, so to speak. Neither of us will come back for at least another few years, and I will probably come back changed._

 _Do not try to follow us. We've gone deep into Convexity, somewhere you cannot follow, mostly because you can't get out the same way you get in. Again, do not follow, for your own good._

 _I hope you're happy. You may have tried to sacrifice Spyro, but it was to protect the city of Warfang. If anyone learns of this, and hates you for it, they simply do not see the bigger picture._

 _Your friend,_

 _Obsidian._

I sigh, and I throw the letter over my shoulder. I'm then surprised by what else is inside the box.

A pair of gem-less, gold rings, each claw-sized. I know who these are for, and if I ever see Obsidian again, I will have to thank him.

(Spyro's POV)

I sit down in the garden, and I try to clear my mind. I've been in therapy of sorts ever since the siege, since both my mind and body came out scarred after my torture, and I've started to improve, but… I'll never be able to forgive Mithril for what he did. He didn't even try to save me, instead throwing me away to save the city. I understand why he did it, but I still can't-

"Spyro?" I turn my head to the left, and I spot a blue dragoness. Probably another fan dragoness. "I have something from you. From a friend."

The dragoness hands me a metal box, before she leaves. Curious, I open it. A letter, sealed by a black scale, is inside. I open it, and I'm shocked by what I read.

 _Spyro, and Cynder_

 _Nice to speak to you two again. I believe you recognise the black scale, even if it is scarred beyond recognition. I'm Obsidian._

 _Firstly, Spyro, I hope you're recovering from the siege. I know how bad pain can be, since I've been killed twice during my little trip, but it gets better. There is light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, so keep pressing forward._

 _Secondly, to both of you, I encountered the first purple dragon during my trip. His name was Talmaris, and he's been manipulating the timeline for centuries. He engineered the corruption and fall of Malefor, and he was responsible for the siege of Warfang. I was able to kill him because both me and Mithril were immune to his influence. Do not ask how I know this._

 _Thirdly, and finally, I hope you two are happy together. I know exactly what you've both been through, and you deserve a good life together. I will probably come back, as will Firana. We've both gone on another trip._

 _You're friend, and in all honesty, your fan_

 _Obsidian._

 _P.S treat Mithril with respect. I know he discarded you, Spyro, but he was only doing what he thought was necessary to protect Warfang._

I sigh, and I put the letter to the sigh. I jump in surprise, however, when I notice something else in the box. I take it out, and I'm surprised by what I see.

Two things. The first, is a key that reminds me of Cynder's chains. The second, is a diamond scale. I pick it up. It glows slightly, and 'SPY' appears on one side of the scale.

"Spyro?"

Cynder walks up to me. I pass her the letter, and the scale. Cynder reads the letter, before picking up the scale. Her eyes widen in surprise.

"Spyro, look."

Cynder passes me the scale, and my heart skips a beat. Now, there were six letters on the scale, 'SPYCYN', surrounded by an image of the Darksign banner Obsidian uses. Now I know for certain. This was sent to us from Obsidian, as a farewell gift.

(Ignitus' POV)

I sigh, and I close the book belonging to Obsidian. He has passed beyond my sight, but I still owe him. If it weren't for his intervention, there would be no real need for a chronicler. After all, while chroniclers are meant to record history, there is no point if history is set. Obsidian freed history. If I ever see him again…

The only problem, is that Firana left with Obsidian. Obsidian immortal, unfortunately, something I would never wish upon anyone. But by leaving with him, Firana has also become immortal. A shame, really. Immortality is a curse, not a blessing. Those two will find out in time, but… I'm happy for them, nonetheless. After all those two have been through, they deserve each other.

I place Obsidian's book back on its shelf, and I walk over to my upgraded Pool of Visions. I gaze in, and I find that those two have passed beyond my sight. I should be worried… but I can't help but smile. I feel, somewhere inside me, that they'll do more good outside the Dragon Realms than they could ever do inside it.

 **And that wraps up 'Destiny'! There will be a sequel, I promise you that, but it may be some time before I write it. After all, despite what I wish, life goes on, and I have issues that need tending to. I'll try to get the sequel out within the next few days, but no promises.**

 **If anyone has any suggestions, message me. I'll at the very least consider them.**

 **Until the sequel, I bid you good day!**


End file.
